blocks

title

description

User must be logged in to see this content. Hidden from sitemap and search crawlers.

private

Map this to a content key in the sub navigation to load that into the page header

contentKey

page

Core:Section

Core:Button

Columns

Text

A STRUGGLING STUDENTI was born in Ulm, Germany. I was shy and preferred to read books rather than spend time with other people.Even though my head was filled with ideas, I was slow to speak. My father found this frustrating. But my mother was more patient. She made sure that we had many books in the house, and she read to me whenever she could.I was very interested in physics, chemistry and mathematics, but I found schoolwork boring. A family friend lent me science and philosophy books to read. I learned more from these books than I did from my teachers.In 1893, our family moved to Pavia, Italy. If I stayed in Germany, I would have to serve in the military, which was required by law. To me, this was wrong. I did not believe in war as I was a pacifist.So, I told my parents that I no longer wanted to be a German citizen. As my strong belief in science went against religious teachings, I also decided I did not want to follow the Jewish faith.FINDING A PATHThese decisions created challenges for me, and so did having to learn a new language. I enrolled in a secondary school that encouraged free thinking and creativity. After graduating, I continued my studies at a polytechnic school in Zurich, Switzerland. There I met Mileva Maric, a fellow student who was brilliant at physics. When I graduated from the polytechnic, I struggled to find a job, so I worked in temporary teaching roles. I continued to study on my own and started to publish my own papers. I believed we needed to combine old ideas of physics with new ones.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F0c26dac4dc7b4b658d41ee828b3e0033" alt="" style="text-align: center; width: 406.719px; height: 267px;">In 1902, the father of a friend helped me get a job as a patent examiner with the Swiss Patent Office in Bern. Whilst living in Bern, I developed a close group of friends. We discussed many scientific things. I enjoyed lightening the explanation of some of the difficult concepts using drawings and humour.In 1905, my years of hard work paid off and I put forward four papers that were to change science forever. My papers introduced the world to a new way of thinking about space and time, called special relativity, as well as to my now famous equation E=mc2.I later called this year my miracle year. University professors around the world wanted to meet me, and I felt very humbled and honoured.I did some of my best work late at night while watching the stars and seeing the sun rise. The light from a star seemed to bend toward the sun, but not many people were prepared to believe that. What I needed was an eclipse to be able to prove it.SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHSIn 1914, I accepted a position at the University of Berlin and returned to Germany. In 1915, I finished my paper On the General Theory of Relativity. This created a completely new way of looking at physics, replacing Isaac Newton’s theories on the laws of gravity.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F33eb891c0f934e6ba2e0eb5b900896c1" alt="" style="text-align: center; width: 356.551px; height: 468.312px;">In 1919, there was a solar eclipse and with it a chance to test the idea of relativity - that light bends through curved space – and the experiments proved me right! This made me world famous.A NEW MISSIONWith the rise of Nazism in Germany, Jews were under attack, and I realised that I could no longer work there. I moved permanently to the US in 1933, as a refugee, and worked to help others who had to leave their countries because of war. I also spoke out about the racism and intolerance that I saw in America.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2Feed23596b53448fba9fc215802619d77" alt="" style="text-align: center; width: 409.225px; height: 310.016px;">News of the treatment of Jews and others in Europe was terrifying. In 1939, I wrote to President Roosevelt with the warning that Germany may be developing a deadly new weapon, the atom bomb. As a result, research was started to develop such a weapon in the US, and I was invited to advise on nuclear research. In 1940, I became a US citizen but kept my Swiss identity.My work was important to me, and I took it seriously. However, I also tried to see the lighter side of things and made sure I didn’t take myself or life too seriously. I loved playing practical jokes and telling jokes in lectures and talks. Once, when speaking to students about gravity, I wondered out loud that, whilst I was an expert on the topic, I couldn’t get my own hair to lie flat! The world came to see me as a brilliant scientist who had a sense of humour.In 1944, to try to help as many as possible in need as a result of the war, I auctioned my original 1905 hand-written theory manuscripts and raised US$6 million.Even though there was so much more I wanted to research and discover about our universe, I was getting older, and my energy began to fade. I hoped that my life’s work would provide an inspiration for generations of scientists to come.GLOSSARYPacifist – someone who opposes war as a way to settle disputes.Relativity&nbsp;– (physics) the dependence of various physical phenomena on relative motion of the observer and the observed objects, especially regarding the nature and behaviour of light, space, time, and gravity.Nazism&nbsp;– the political principles of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, often associated with extreme racist or authoritarian views or behaviour.LEGACY AND RECOGNITION<ul><li>The name Einstein has become part of the English language, describing a person with great intelligence.</li><li>Albert Einstein is known as a brilliant physicist and Nobel Laureate. He was also a refugee and humanitarian, and he inspired the founding of the organisation that became the International Rescue Committee.</li><li>Albert Einstein's work laid the foundations for much of the research into the evolution of the universe, as well as modern technology, including lasers and computer chips.</li><li>Although he is best remembered for his huge contributions to modern physics, his life and thinking left an impact not only on science, but also on philosophy, art, and literature.</li><li>An asteroid belt and a lunar crater are named after Albert Einstein.</li><li>In 1999,&nbsp;Time&nbsp;magazine named Albert Einstein the Person of the Century.</li></ul>IMAGE CAPTIONS AND CREDITSEinstein with Habicht and Solovine,&nbsp;Emil Vollenweider und Sohn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<o:p></o:p>Albert Einstein (1921),&nbsp;Ferdinand Schmutzer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<o:p></o:p>Jews imprisoned by the Nazis during WWII,&nbsp;Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-N0827-318, CC-BY-SA3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image

More Amazing People! If you liked this story, you might also enjoy these.

Want more? Check out these amazing resources and keep the learning going

EuHu

Character Strengths Strategic Overview

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Overview

Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategic Overview

Special Education Needs & Disability Strategic Overview