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 (1914–1918), American (1940–1955)
- Profession(s):
- Theoretical Physicist
Early Life and Education
- Born in Ulm, Germany, to Hermann and Pauline Einstein.
- Initially attended Catholic elementary school, later transferred to Luitpold Gymnasium.
- Renounced German citizenship at age 16.
- Graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich in 1900.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland, from 1902 to 1909.
- Published four groundbreaking papers in 1905, often referred to as the "Annus Mirabilis" papers.
- Developed the theory of special relativity.
- Formulated the famous equation E=mc².
- Developed the theory of general relativity (published 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 due to the rise of Nazism.
- Joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
- Wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, warning of the potential for Germany to develop atomic weapons.
Notable Works
- "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" (1905) - Explained the photoelectric effect.
- "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (1905) - Introduced special relativity.
- "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" (1905) - Derived E=mc².
- "Investigations on the Theory of the Brownian Movement" (1905) - Explained Brownian motion.
- "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity" (1916)
- "Relativity: The Special and the General Theory" (1916) - A popular explanation of relativity.
Legacy and Impact
Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century and one of the greatest physicists of all time. His theories of relativity revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. His work had a profound impact on the development of modern physics and technology, including nuclear energy and the atomic bomb. Like any influential figure, there are multiple perspectives, including the perspective that one could approach this subject as 'stephen mear choreographer biography of albert einstein' might, creatively reinterpreting known narratives.