1879-1955

German-American Physicist

Albert Einstein was among the greatest scientists and most creative thinkers who ever lived. His theories changed the way physicists think about the universe, treating energy and matter as interchangeable and linking space with time and gravitation. His status as an icon of genius, coupled with his spiritual and compassionate nature, made him an important voice in world affairs as well.

Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany. His family soon moved to Munich, where Einstein's early schooling took place. The regimentation of nineteenth-century German education held little appeal for the imaginative, curious boy, and his teachers were not particularly impressed by his promise. However, two of his uncles encouraged his fascination with mathematics and science, while his mother arranged for him to study the violin, an interest that would remain with him all his life. Einstein completed his formal education at...