(Albert Einstein)
Born in Ulm, in Württemberg, Germany on March 14th 1879, Albert Einstein and his family soon moved to Munich where Einstein started his education - at the Luitpold Gymnasium. He continued his education in Aarau, Switzerland before entering the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich where he trained to become a teacher in the fields of physics and mathematics.
At the turn of the century he earned his diploma, and obtained Swiss citizenship, but failed to find a teaching position, so instead opted to become a technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. He earned his doctor's degree four years later, in 1905.
It was within the Patent Office and in his own time, that Einstein produced the majority of his brilliant work. In 1909 he was awarded the title of Professor Extraordinary and Professor of Theoretical Physics in Prague two years later. Einstein became a German citizen in 1914, staying in Berlin until 1933, before renouncing his citizenship for political reasons. He then emigrated to America, becoming Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton, retiring from this position in 1945.
Einstein had a gift for his perception of any problem, and the unique way he would tackle these problems. He insisted that his major breakthroughs were merely stepping stones to the next stage. His theory of relativity was derived from experimentation with the laws of mechanics against the laws of an electromagnetic field. He also looked into the thermal properties of light which resulted in the photon theory of light, as well as explaining the Brownian manipulation of molecules. It was back in Berlin, where Einstein documented his theory of relativity in co-existence with the theory of gravitation.
Einstein developed the quantum theory in the 1920's and also contributed towards atomic transition probabilities and relativistic cosmology. He continued with his work in the physics field beyond his retirement, adopting the unorthodox approach of geometrisation in his work.
Einstein has written many revolutionary books in his time, arguably the most important of which being Special Theory of Relativity (1905), Relativity (English translations, 1920 and 1950), General Theory of Relativity (1916), Investigations on Theory of Brownian Movement (1926), and The Evolution of Physics (1938). Among his non-scientific works, About Zionism (1930), Why War? (1933), My Philosophy (1934), and Out of My Later Years (1950).
Einstein won awards all over for his contributions to physics. He lectured in Europe, America and the Far East, being awarded by the Franklin Institute and the Royal Society of London. His way of thinking led him to develop a passion for music, which played an vital role in his life. In 1903, he married Mileva Maric with which he had one daughter and two sons, but their marriage ended in 1919. Later that year he married his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal, who passed away in 1936. Albert Einstein died on April 18th, 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey - but his legacy and findings live on.
Refresh Electronics Charging Station
05.56
Engineering Physics ITS '11
