Albert Einstein Biography

Early Life and Education

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany, and died on April 18, 1955, at University Medical Center in Princeton from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. He grew up in a Jewish family with his father, brother, and mother. Despite his humble beginnings as a lowly patent clerk, Einstein ventured out on his own to test various scientific theories. Once these theories were tested, he shocked the world with his groundbreaking discoveries. He was also classically trained and earned his Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School (Isaacson, 2007).

Personal Life

While attending school in Zurich, Albert met a Serbian physics student named Mileva Maric. Despite opposition from his parents due to her ethnic background, Albert continued to grow closer to her. The two exchanged letters, in which Albert shared many of his scientific ideas. After his father passed away in 1902, Maric and Albert married. That same year, the couple had a daughter, Lieserl, who might have been raised by Maric's relatives or given up for adoption; her fate remains unknown (Calaprice, 2015). Maric and Albert later had two sons, Hans and Eduard, before divorcing in 1919. While still married to Maric, Albert began an affair with his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal. They married in 1919, the same year as his divorce from Maric. However, he continued to see other women throughout his second marriage.

Scientific Contributions

Einstein made numerous discoveries, including the Theory of Relativity, mass-energy equivalence, and the law of the Photoelectric Effect. In 1921, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. As a physicist, he had a multitude of discoveries, but his most famous is the theory of relativity and his equation E=MC², which demonstrates that small amounts of mass can be converted into large amounts of energy. The Theory of Relativity proposed that the velocity of light is absolute, while all other velocities are relative. He was convinced of the merits of general relativity since it allowed for more accurate predictions of planetary orbits around the sun (Overbye, 2000).

Later Work and Legacy

After World War II, Einstein worked on his unified field theory and the theory of general relativity. His research involved concepts such as wormholes, the possibility of time travel, black holes, and the creation of the universe. Einstein's efforts to unify the forces of nature into a single framework remained a lifelong pursuit. His intellectual curiosity and relentless pursuit of knowledge continued to inspire future generations of physicists and scientists (Penrose, 2004).

References

• Calaprice, A. (2015). The Ultimate Quotable Einstein. Princeton University Press.
• Isaacson, W. (2007). Einstein: His Life and Universe. Simon & Schuster.
• Overbye, D. (2000). Einstein in Love: A Scientific Romance. Penguin Books.
• Penrose, R. (2004). The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe. Vintage Books.