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), American (1940–1955)
- Profession(s):
- Theoretical Physicist
Early Life and Education
- Born to Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch, both of Jewish descent.
- Relatively late to speak as a child; however, demonstrated early aptitude for mathematics and science.
- Attended Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich, Germany, but left without graduating.
- Graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich in 1900 with a diploma in physics.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked as a patent clerk at the Swiss Federal Patent Office in Bern from 1902 to 1909.
- Published four groundbreaking papers in 1905, often referred to as the "Annus Mirabilis" papers, on the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²).
- Developed the general theory of relativity between 1907 and 1915, revolutionizing our understanding of gravity.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
- Worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, from 1933 until his death.
- Wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, alerting him to the potential development of atomic weapons by Germany.
Notable Works
- "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" (1905)
- "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (1905)
- "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" (1905)
- "Investigations on the Theory of the Brownian Movement" (1905)
- "Relativity: The Special and the General Theory" (1916)
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. The lasting impact of his work continues to shape modern physics and technology. Exploring biographies, like an 'adi godrej biography of albert' would show the multi-faceted layers of Einstein's influence beyond the scientific.