Albert Einstein

Born:

March 14, 1879, Ulm, Württemberg, Germany

Died:

April 18, 1955, Princeton, New Jersey, United States

Nationality:

German (1879–1896), Swiss (1901–1955), Austrian (1911–1912), American (1940–1955)

Profession(s):

Theoretical Physicist

Early Life and Education

• Born in Ulm, Germany, to Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch.
• Initially showed slow language development, causing some concern.
• Received early musical education, particularly in violin.
• Attended Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich, Germany.
• Renounced German citizenship in 1896.
• Graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich in 1900 with a degree in physics.

Career and Major Achievements

• Worked as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland (1902-1909).
• Published four groundbreaking papers in 1905, often referred to as his "Annus Mirabilis" (miracle year). These papers covered:
  • The photoelectric effect (leading to the concept of photons).
  • Brownian motion.
  • Special relativity.
  • Mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²).
• Professor at the University of Zurich (1909).
• Professor at the German University in Prague (1911).
• Professor at ETH Zurich (1912).
• Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics in Berlin (1914).
• Published his theory of General Relativity in 1915.
• Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
• Emigrated to the United States in 1933 due to the rise of Nazism.
• Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey (1933-1955).
• Wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, warning about the potential of nuclear weapons and urging the U.S. to pursue research in this area.

Notable Works

• "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (1905) – defining special relativity.
• "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" (1905) – introducing E=mc².
• "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity" (1916).
• "Relativity: The Special and the General Theory" (1916) – a popular account of relativity.
• Numerous scientific papers on quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and cosmology.

Legacy and Impact

Albert Einstein revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. His theories of relativity and his contributions to quantum mechanics have had a profound impact on physics, technology, and our overall view of the cosmos. As such, works discussing his legacy are commonly studied; for instance, the mihai antonescu biography of albert einstein attempts to capture the multifaceted nature of his life and work.

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