Albert Einstein
His radical rethinking of space, time, and energy fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the universe's basic rules.
1879–1955 (age 76)·German-born theoretical physicist·Birthday: March 14·The Gilded Age
Biography
Born in Ulm, Germany, Albert Einstein was a quiet, curious child whose unconventional thinking didn't always fit within the rigid structures of formal schooling. After working as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland, his 1905 "miracle year" saw him publish papers that shattered classical physics, introducing special relativity and the photon theory of light. His later general theory of relativity, which described gravity as the curvature of spacetime, was confirmed during a 1919 solar eclipse, catapulting him to global fame. Fleeing Nazi Germany for the United States, he spent his later years at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, becoming a vocal advocate for civil rights, pacifism, and Zionist causes, his scientific genius forever intertwined with his profound moral conscience.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Albert was born in 1879, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Albert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1879
Albert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1879Born
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1884Started school
President: Chester A. Arthur
1892Became a teenager
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Could drive
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1897Could vote
President: William McKinley
1900Turned 21
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1909Turned 30
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1919Turned 40
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1929Turned 50
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 60
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 70
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1955Died at 76
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
Key Achievements
- Published the general theory of relativity in 1915, revolutionizing the concept of gravity.
- Awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
- Formulated the mass-energy equivalence equation, E = mc², one of science's most famous formulas.
- His 1905 paper on special relativity introduced groundbreaking ideas about the relationship between space and time.
Did You Know?
He was offered the presidency of Israel in 1952 but declined.
His brain was removed without permission during his autopsy and studied for decades.
He was a talented violinist and said he thought of music in terms of relativity.
He famously did not wear socks.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
