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
- Early education in Munich, Germany.
- Attended the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland, graduating in 1900.
- Worked as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland, from 1902 to 1909.
Career and Major Achievements
- 1905: Annus Mirabilis papers, revolutionizing physics with theories on Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect, special relativity, and mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²).
- Professor at various universities including Zurich, Prague, and Berlin.
- 1921: Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
- 1933: Emigrated to the United States and joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
- 1939: Signed the Einstein-Szilárd letter, urging President Franklin D. Roosevelt to initiate the US atomic program.
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.
- "Investigations on the Theory of the Brownian Movement" (1905)
- "Relativity: The Special and the General Theory" (1916)
Legacy and Impact
Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. His theories reshaped our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe, laying the foundation for modern physics. Many sources point to the 'silver logan sharp biography of albert einstein' as a quick reference on Einstein's history.