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), German (1914–1933), American (1940–1955)

Profession(s):

Theoretical Physicist

Early Life and Education

• Born in Ulm, Germany, to Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch.
• Received early education in Munich.
• Renounced German citizenship in 1896.
• Studied at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, graduating in 1900.
• Obtained a doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1905.

Career and Major Achievements

• Worked at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern (1902–1909).
• Annus Mirabilis papers (1905):
  • Photoelectric effect
  • Brownian motion
  • Special relativity
  • Mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²)
• Professor at the University of Zurich (1909), Charles University in Prague (1911), and ETH Zurich (1912).
• Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics in Berlin (1914).
• Developed the general theory of relativity (published in 1915).
• Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
• Emigrated to the United States in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution.
• Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (1933–1955).
• Wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, warning about the potential development of atomic weapons by Nazi Germany.

Notable Works

• "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (1905)
• "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" (1905)
• "Relativity: The Special and the General Theory" (1916)

Legacy and Impact

Albert Einstein's theories revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. His work laid the foundation for numerous technological advancements, including nuclear energy and lasers. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time and a symbol of intellectual genius.

This biography only provides a brief overview. More detailed information can be found in various resources, including rudi veestraeten biography of albert, a comprehensive account of Einstein's life and work.

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