Albert Einstein was a physicist whose work on the theory of relativity and other modern scientific achievements has made him one of the most memorable innovators in history. His work changed the world of science and was ground-breaking in many ways.
Albert Einstein died on April 18, 1955, after suffering from an aneurysm. He spoke final words but they were in his native language of German and the bedside nurse did not speak it so his last statement will never be truly known.
Einstein’s work in his field has ensured that he will forever be one of the most important figures in history.
Birth & Earth Life
Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, a city in Germany on March 14, 1879. He was born to two Jewish parents, Hermann Einstein and Paule Koch.
Shortly after Albert’s birth, the family moved to Munich where Albert would begin school in a few years. Though he was raised Jewish, the family was non-observant and the young boy studied at a Catholic school.
Early in his schooling career, it became apparent that Albert was gifted. He was transferred to another school at the age of eight to receive an advanced primary and secondary education.
In 1894, the Einstein family traveled through Europe looking for a new home after Hermann lost his job. Einstein stayed behind in Munich to continue his learning and was excelling at all things related to math and physics.
Albert began teaching himself calculus at 12 and quickly mastered theories and problems that others much older than him had issues with.
Still a teenager, Einstein penned his first paper titled “The Investigation of the State of Aether in Magnetic Fields.”
Education and Early Career
Albert Einstein later gained admission to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich after impressing authorities with his skills in mathematics and science.
Just before this time, Einstein met and fell for Marie Winteler, the daughter of his high school’s headmaster. They quickly became a couple but it wasn’t bound to last.
After graduating from college in Zurich became a patent clerk for the Swiss and spent his days working and continuing to explore ideas and theories he had started in college.
In 1905, the budding physicist had four papers published in the best-known physics journal of the time. One of those papers revealed the idea of E=MC2 which would be one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of the next hundred years.
Einstein met and married Mileva Maric in early 1903, one year after his father’s passing. The couple had two sons and one daughter, though their daughter was possibly given up for adoption or raised by Maric’s relatives.
The marriage was not happy and suffered from many problems and the couple split and divorced in 1919. It was revealed that during his marriage, Einstein had started a relationship with his cousin, Elsa Lowenthal.
Einstein and Lowenthal married in 1919 right after the divorce was final.
Scientific Success
The 1920s would be major for Einstein. It started with him winning the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
Einstein continued to work on his theory of relativity and became well known for his lectures and academic papers and endeavors.
In 1933, Einstein took a job at Princeton in America and left Europe for the last time. The scientist would not return to his home country due to the rise of Hitler and the Nazis.
Einstein spent his time in America working on his theories and later working with the American government to bolster war efforts. However, after the dropping of nuclear bombs on Japan, Einstein became involved in the effort to never use atomic weaponry.
Death and Legacy
At the age of 76, Einstein had grown very sick and suffered an abdominal aneurysm. He was taken to the hospital at the University Medical Center at Princeton.
However, Einstein refused treatment and said “I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share, it is time to go. I will do it elegantly.”
On April 18, 1955, Albert Einstein died.
Einstein was heralded as the finest scientific mind the world had known and his theories would shape modern science for generations. His work vastly altered how people view the universe and laid the groundwork for most scientific discoveries and research for years to come.
Countless books and papers have been written about Einstein and his work and he continues to be a paramount pillar of physics and science.