Albert Einstein, one of the most renowned physicists in history, was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, Germany. His full name was Albert Einstein, and he is best known for developing the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics, alongside quantum mechanics. He passed away on April 18, 1955, in Princeton, New Jersey, leaving behind a legacy that profoundly influenced both science and philosophy.
Einstein's early life was marked by a curiosity that set him apart from his peers. He was born into a secular Jewish family, and although he struggled with the rigid education system of his time, his passion for mathematics and physics blossomed. He excelled academically and eventually attended the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, where he graduated in 1900. His early career was marked by a period of obscurity, working as a patent examiner in Bern, Switzerland. During this time, he developed his groundbreaking ideas, which would later revolutionize the understanding of space, time, and energy.
Einstein's literary career took off in 1905, often referred to as his "Annus Mirabilis" or "Miracle Year," when he published four seminal papers, including his theory of special relativity and the famous equation E=mc^2. His work garnered significant attention, and he continued to produce influential papers throughout his career, culminating in the general theory of relativity published in 1915. These works not only transformed theoretical physics but also had profound implications for the understanding of the universe.
On a personal level, Einstein was married twice; first to Mileva Marić, a fellow student, and later to his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal. He had three children, Hans Albert, Eduard, and Lieserl. Despite his fame, Einstein remained a humble and introspective individual, often reflecting on the moral implications of scientific discoveries. His legacy is not only that of a brilliant scientist but also of a thinker deeply concerned with social issues, advocating for peace and civil rights throughout his life.