Historical Figures Codexery

Albert Einstein

Theoretical physicist who developed relativity and E=mc²

Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist who published four groundbreaking papers in 1905, covering the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and mass-energy equivalence.[1] In 1917, Einstein authored a paper that put forward the ideas of spontaneous emission and stimulated emission, with the latter being fundamental to how lasers and masers operate.[2]

Last updated 2026-10-01 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Born
14 March 1879
Birthplace
Ulm, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Died
18 April 1955
Place of death
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Children
3, including Hans Albert
Family
Einstein
Fields
Physics
Education
Swiss federal polytechnic school (teaching diploma, 1900); University of Zurich (PhD, 1905)

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Einstein was slow to learn to talk as a young child, causing his parents to worry he had a learning disability.[3] In 1895, at sixteen, he sat the entrance exam for the federal polytechnic school in Zurich but failed the general part, though he performed with distinction in physics and mathematics.[4] After graduating in 1900, he struggled to find a teaching position and eventually secured a post as an assistant examiner at the Swiss Patent Office with help from a friend's father.[5][6] In 1905, his annus mirabilis, he published papers on the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and the equivalence of mass and energy.[1][7]

He later completed the general theory of relativity, which was tested during a solar eclipse in 1919 by Sir Arthur Eddington.[8][9] When Einstein was five years old and confined to bed due to illness, his father presented him with a compass; this event triggered a permanent curiosity about electromagnetism.[3][6] By the age of twelve, Einstein was independently studying algebra, calculus, and Euclidean geometry; he managed to create an original demonstration of the Pythagorean theorem prior to turning thirteen.[10] Einstein finished his secondary schooling at a gymnasium in Aarau, Switzerland, and subsequently, in 1896, started a four-year program for a teaching diploma in mathematics and physics at the federal polytechnic school.[4][11]

What the cited sources add

The Smithsonian Magazine account by Katz describes Einstein's travel diaries, where he wrote that Chinese people were "industrious, filthy, obtuse" and expressed that it would be "unspeakably dreary" if they supplanted other races.[12] Falk's 2021 article states that Einstein arrived in New York on April 2, 1921, and was welcomed by crowds singing both the "Star-Spangled Banner" and the Zionist anthem "Hatikva"[13] The Hindustan Times article from 2006 reports that newly released letters revealed Einstein openly discussed his numerous love affairs with his second wife Elsa and stepdaughter Margot.[14]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Galison 2000, p. 377 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kleppner, "Rereading Einstein on Radiation", Physics Today, 1 February 2005, p. 30–33 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Seelig, "Albert Einstein: A Documentary Biography", Staples Press, 1956 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stachel, et al (2008). Vol. 1 (1987), p. 11.; Fölsing 1997, p. 30–31; Hunziker, "Albert Einstein's Magic Mountain: An Aarau Education*", Physics in Perspective, 2015, p. 55–69 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stachel, et al (2008). Vol. 1 (1987), doc. 67.; Fölsing 1997, p. 30–31 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Isaacson 2007, p. 13 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Einstein (1905b).; Einstein (1926b). A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions.; Mehra, "Golden Age Of Theoretical Physics, The (Boxed Set Of 2 Vols)", World Scientific, 28 February 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hoffmann, "Einstein's Berlin: In the footsteps of a genius", The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013, p. 2–9, 28; Weinberg, "Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and applications of the general theory of relativity", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1972, p. 19–20 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Francis, "How Albert Einstein Used His Fame to Denounce American Racism", Smithsonian Magazine, 3 March 2017 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bloom, "The God Problem: How a Godless Cosmos Creates", Prometheus Books, 2012, p. 294 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Albert Einstein" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fölsing 1997, p. 30–31; Stachel, et al (2008). Vol. 1 (1987), docs. 21–27. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Katz, "Einstein's Travel Diaries Reveal His Deeply Troubling Views on Race", Smithsonian Magazine. facts only, no text reused. smithsonianmag.com
  13. Falk, "One Hundred Years Ago, Einstein Was Given a Hero's Welcome by America's Jews", 2 April 2021. facts only, no text reused. smithsonianmag.com
  14. "Einstein secret love affairs out!", Hindustan Times, 13 July 2006. facts only, no text reused. hindustantimes.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Albert Einstein (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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