Albert Einstein developed the famous equation E=mc².

German-born, Swiss-educated Physicist 1879-1955

Albert Einstein was a scientist who revolutionized physics in the early twentieth century with his theories of relativity. Born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879, Einstein was interested in science from an early age. While he performed well in school, he disliked the academic environment and left at the age of fifteen. He took an entrance exam for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich but failed; only after completing secondary school was he able to gain entrance to ETH, where he graduated in 1900. Unable to find a teaching position, Einstein accepted a job in the Swiss patent office in 1902.

During his time as a patent clerk Einstein made some of his most important discoveries. In 1905 he published three papers, which brought him recognition in the scientific community. In one he described the physics...