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 (1914–1918), American (1940–1955)
- Profession(s):
- Theoretical Physicist
Early Life and Education
- Received early education in Munich, Germany.
- Renounced German citizenship in 1896.
- Attended the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, graduating in 1900.
- Granted Swiss citizenship in 1901.
- Earned a PhD from the University of Zurich in 1905.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland, during his "miracle year" (1905).
- Published four groundbreaking papers in 1905 on the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and mass-energy equivalence.
- 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 1915).
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
- Emigrated to the United States in 1933, joining the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
- Wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 urging research into atomic weapons.
Notable Works
- "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)
- "The Meaning of Relativity" (1922)
Legacy and Impact
Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century and of all time. His theories of relativity revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. His work laid the foundation for many technological advancements, including nuclear energy and lasers. The exploration of 'jme stein biography of albert einstein' reveals the remarkable life and contributions of this towering figure.