Albert Einstein was synonymous with genius and innovation. He has revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and the universe. His theories of relativity, especially the general theory of relativity, revised our thoughts about the universe. Curiosity was always present in this man’s heart throughout his lifetime he did all that he could to persuade it even when there was nothing left but relentless pursuit of knowledge.
Early Life and Education
Albert Einstein was born on 14th March 1879 in the city of Ulm, Germany, to Hermann and Pauline Einstein. All through his early years, he was a slow developer in terms of language abilities and some suspected his intelligence at some point. However, by now his inquisitiveness as well as awe regarding the natural world was obvious.
For the sake of formality, Einstein started his elementary studies at a local elementary school before even joining it. The traditional German system of strictness and memorization proved troublesome for him but rather provided solace in the self-exploration of scientific ideas. At the age of fifteen, he joined the prestigious Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich.
A Turning Point: Switzerland
Einstein left school at 16 years old disillusioned with the strict academic culture in Germany. A trip to Switzerland saw him enroll at ETH Zurich majoring in Physics as well as Mathematics. At this point, he met Mileva Maric who became his future wife and was also studying physics in the same institution.
When Einstein graduated from the Polytechnic Institute in 1900, he had no job to do. He later secured one at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern as a technical expert where he was paid a relatively low amount but it enabled him to sustain himself as he conducted research activities during his spare time.
The Miracle Year
At all events, everything changed for him in the year 1905, often referred to as the ‘annus mirabilis’ or in English the ‘miracle year’. In that same year, he published five critical papers in Annalen der Physik, an important journal for physicists.
Brownian motion
Einstein’s paper on Brownian motion gave a theoretical explanation of the random movement of particles suspended in a fluid thus confirming the existence of atoms.
Photoelectric effect
As for light being composed of discrete particles called photons, quantum theory came up after reading what Einstein wrote about it in 1905 following his research work on the photoelectric effect.
Special relativity
The theory brought in the concepts of space-time curvature besides mass-energy equivalence as seen through the most famous equation named E=mc². Mass-energy equivalence: It laid the basis for nuclear energy and the atomic bomb.
A Rising Star
Einstein quickly gained recognition for his groundbreaking work within the scientific community. In the year 1909, he became a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Zurich. Albert Einstein made important contributions to physics by developing the theory of general relativity.
General Relativity: A Paradigm Shift
Einstein’s general relativity theory was published in 1915, reshaping the way people view gravity. He claimed that gravity is not a force but rather a warping of space-time caused by matter and energy. General relativity has been confirmed by various experiments and observations such as massive objects bending light or black hole existence.
The Nobel Prize in Physics and his later years
Albert Einstein got the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his work on the photoelectric effect. The committee did not mention his theory of relativity, but it was widely known.
Throughout his life, he continued to be a prominent figure within the scientific community. He spoke out against nuclear weapons and supported both peace and human rights publicly. He moved to the United States as Nazi Germany rose to power in 1933. he turned into a professor at Princeton University.
Death and Legacy
Albert Einstein died at the age of 76 on April 18th, 1955. His ideas served as an inspiration for many generations of scientists and thinkers worldwide to date. He changed our knowledge about our world due to his theories of relativity thereby providing numerous scientific discoveries through which we have gained so much knowledge today. The name Einstein is synonymous with genius and his name will always be remembered in the history of physics for what he has contributed over centuries.
