Albert Einstein is often cited as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. His work continues to help astrophysicists study everything from gravitational waves to Mercury’s orbit.
The scientist’s equation from his theory of special relativity, E = mc², is famous even among those who don’t understand its underlying physics. Einstein is also known for his theory of general relativity (a theory of gravity compatible with the theory of special relativity), and his theory of the photoelectric effect (a consequence of a quantum description of light on electrons); his work on the latter earned him a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
Einstein also tried in vain to unify gravitation and the electromagnetic force into a single theory, or theory of everything, on which he was still working at the time of his death. Matter particles such as the electron and proton, known during his lifetime, were also to be deduced from this, as were the laws of quantum mechanics.
Einstein’s Early Years
Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany, a city with a population of just over 120,000. A small plaque commemorates his birthplace, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The family moved to Munich soon after his birth, then to Italy when his father had problems running his own business. Einstein’s father, Hermann, ran an electrochemical plant, and his mother Pauline looked after Albert and his younger sister, Maria.
Einstein would write in his memoirs that two “wonders” had a profound effect on his early years, according to Hans-Josef Küpper, an Albert Einstein scholar. The young Einstein encountered his first wonder, a compass, at the age of 5: he was mystified that invisible forces could deflect the needle. This would lead to a lifelong fascination with invisible forces. The second wonder came at the age of 12, when he discovered a geometry book that he revered, calling it his “holy book of geometry”.
Contrary to popular belief, young Albert was a good student. He excelled in physics and mathematics, but was a more “moderate” student in other subjects, Küpper wrote on his website. However, Einstein rebelled against the authoritarian attitude of some of his teachers and dropped out of school at 16. He then took an entrance exam to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, and although his performance in physics and mathematics was excellent, his grades in other areas were mediocre, and he did not pass the exam. The budding physicist took additional courses to make up for his lack of knowledge. He was admitted to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1896 and, in 1901, graduated as a teacher of physics and mathematics.
However, Einstein was unable to find a teaching post and began working in a patent office in Berne in 1901. Here, in between analyzing patent applications, he developed his work on special relativity and other areas of physics that would later make him famous.
In 1903, Einstein married Mileva Maric. Their children, Hans Albert and Eduard, were born in 1904 and 1910. Einstein divorced Maric in 1919 and shortly afterwards married Elsa Löwenthal. Löwenthal died in 1933.
Career Highlights
Einstein’s career took him to many countries. He obtained his doctorate at Zurich University in 1905, then became a professor in Zurich (1909), Prague (1911) and Zurich again (1912). He then moved to Berlin to become Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics and Professor at the University of Berlin (1914). He also became a German citizen.
A major validation of Einstein’s theory of general relativity came in 1919, when Sir Arthur Eddington, Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society, led an expedition to Africa to measure the position of the stars during a total solar eclipse. The group discovered that the position of the stars was shifted due to the deviation of light rays around the sun.
Einstein remained in Germany until 1933, when dictator Adolf Hitler came to power. The physicist then renounced his German citizenship and moved to the United States to become Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton. He became an American citizen in 1940 and retired in 1945.