Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, on March 14, 1879. His father was an engineer who opened an electrical business in Munich. When the business failed in 1894, the Einsteins moved to Milan, Italy. Albert was left behind to finish his schooling in Munich, but he did so poorly that he was soon asked to leave school. One teacher is reported to have told him "You will never amount to anything, Einstein." Einstein left Munich eagerly as he had no love for the German people and was eager to rejoin his family.

After joining his family in Milan, Einstein devoted himself to the one subject that really interested him, mathematics. Over a period of six months, he taught himself calculus and higher mathematics. In 1895, he traveled to Zürich to take the entrance examination at the Swiss Polytechnique Institute, where a high school degree was not required. He failed the...