Albert Einstein
- Born:
- March 14, 1879, Ulm, Württemberg, Germany
- Died:
- April 18, 1955, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
- Nationality:
- German (1879–1896), Stateless (1896–1901), Swiss (1901–1955), German (1914–1933), American (1940–1955)
- Profession(s):
- Theoretical Physicist
Early Life and Education
- Einstein showed a deep curiosity about the natural world from a young age.
- He received his diploma from the Aargau Cantonal School in Aarau, Switzerland.
- He graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich in 1900.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern from 1902 to 1909.
- Published his Annus Mirabilis papers in 1905, revolutionizing physics. These papers included the explanation of Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect (for which he received the Nobel Prize), special relativity, and mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²).
- Developed the general theory of relativity, published in 1915.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
- Served as Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics in Berlin.
- Emigrated to the United States in 1933 and joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
- Wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, warning about the potential of nuclear weapons and urging the US to begin its own research.
Notable Works
- "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (1905) - introduced special relativity.
- "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" (1905) - introduced mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²).
- "On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" (1905) - explained the photoelectric effect.
- "Investigations on the Theory of Brownian Movement" (1905) - explained Brownian motion.
- "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity" (1916)
Legacy and Impact
Albert Einstein is considered one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. His theories revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. His work continues to shape modern physics and technology.
Nobel Prize
| Year | Award | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Nobel Prize in Physics | "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect" |
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