Albert
Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the
general theory of relativity, effecting a revolution in physics.
Born: March
14, 1879, Ulm
Died: April
18, 1955, Princeton
Albert Einstein was born at Ulm, in Württemberg,
Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later the family moved to Munich, where
he later on began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, they moved to
Italy and Albert continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 he
entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a
teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he gained his diploma, he
acquired Swiss citizenship and, as he was unable to find a teaching post, he
accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905
he obtained his doctor's degree.
During his stay at the Patent Office,
and in his spare time, he produced much of his remarkable work and in 1908 he
was appointed Privatdozent in Berne. In 1909 he became Professor Extraordinary
at Zurich, in 1911 Professor of Theoretical Physics at Prague, returning to
Zurich in the following year to fill a similar post. In 1914 he was appointed
Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor in the
University of Berlin. He became a German citizen in 1914 and remained in Berlin
until 1933 when he renounced his citizenship for political reasons and
emigrated to America to take the position of Professor of Theoretical Physics
at Princeton*. He became a United States citizen in 1940 and
retired from his post in 1945.
After World War II, Einstein was a
leading figure in the World Government Movement, he was offered the Presidency
of the State of Israel, which he declined, and he collaborated with Dr. Chaim
Weizmann in establishing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Einstein
always appeared to have a clear view of the problems of physics and the
determination to solve them. He had a strategy of his own and was able to
visualize the main stages on the way to his goal. He regarded his major
achievements as mere stepping-stones for the next advance.
At the
start of his scientific work, Einstein realized the inadequacies of Newtonian
mechanics and his special theory of relativity stemmed from an attempt to
reconcile the laws of mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. He
dealt with classical problems of statistical mechanics and problems in which
they were merged with quantum theory: this led to an explanation of the
Brownian movement of molecules. He investigated the thermal properties of light
with a low radiation density and his observations laid the foundation of the
photon theory of light.
In his early days in Berlin, Einstein
postulated that the correct interpretation of the special theory of relativity
must also furnish a theory of gravitation and in 1916 he published his paper
on the general theory of relativity. During this time he also contributed to
the problems of the theory of radiation and statistical mechanics.
In
the 1920's, Einstein embarked on the construction of unified field theories,
although he continued to work on the probabilistic interpretation of quantum
theory, and he persevered with this work in America. He contributed to
statistical mechanics by his development of the quantum theory of a monatomic
gas and he has also accomplished valuable work in connection with atomic
transition probabilities and relativistic cosmology.
After his
retirement he continued to work towards the unification of the basic concepts
of physics, taking the opposite approach, geometrisation, to the majority of
physicists.
Einstein's researches are, of course, well chronicled and
his more important works include 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) are perhaps the
most important.
Albert Einstein received honorary doctorate degrees in
science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities.
During the 1920's he lectured in Europe, America and the Far East and he was
awarded Fellowships or Memberships of all the leading scientific academies
throughout the world. He gained numerous awards in recognition of his work,
including the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London in 1925, and the
Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1935.
Einstein's gifts
inevitably resulted in his dwelling much in intellectual solitude and, for
relaxation, music played an important part in his life. He married Mileva Maric
in 1903 and they had a daughter and two sons; their marriage was dissolved in
1919 and in the same year he married his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal, who died in
1936. He died on April 18, 1955 at Princeton, New Jersey.
From Nobel Lectures, Physics 1901-1921, Elsevier
Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1967
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of
the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited
and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document,
always state the source as shown above.
From: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/einstein-bio.html
general theory of relativity, effecting a revolution in physics.
Born: March
14, 1879, Ulm
Died: April
18, 1955, Princeton
Albert Einstein was born at Ulm, in Württemberg,
Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later the family moved to Munich, where
he later on began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, they moved to
Italy and Albert continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 he
entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a
teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he gained his diploma, he
acquired Swiss citizenship and, as he was unable to find a teaching post, he
accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905
he obtained his doctor's degree.
During his stay at the Patent Office,
and in his spare time, he produced much of his remarkable work and in 1908 he
was appointed Privatdozent in Berne. In 1909 he became Professor Extraordinary
at Zurich, in 1911 Professor of Theoretical Physics at Prague, returning to
Zurich in the following year to fill a similar post. In 1914 he was appointed
Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor in the
University of Berlin. He became a German citizen in 1914 and remained in Berlin
until 1933 when he renounced his citizenship for political reasons and
emigrated to America to take the position of Professor of Theoretical Physics
at Princeton*. He became a United States citizen in 1940 and
retired from his post in 1945.
After World War II, Einstein was a
leading figure in the World Government Movement, he was offered the Presidency
of the State of Israel, which he declined, and he collaborated with Dr. Chaim
Weizmann in establishing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Einstein
always appeared to have a clear view of the problems of physics and the
determination to solve them. He had a strategy of his own and was able to
visualize the main stages on the way to his goal. He regarded his major
achievements as mere stepping-stones for the next advance.
At the
start of his scientific work, Einstein realized the inadequacies of Newtonian
mechanics and his special theory of relativity stemmed from an attempt to
reconcile the laws of mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. He
dealt with classical problems of statistical mechanics and problems in which
they were merged with quantum theory: this led to an explanation of the
Brownian movement of molecules. He investigated the thermal properties of light
with a low radiation density and his observations laid the foundation of the
photon theory of light.
In his early days in Berlin, Einstein
postulated that the correct interpretation of the special theory of relativity
must also furnish a theory of gravitation and in 1916 he published his paper
on the general theory of relativity. During this time he also contributed to
the problems of the theory of radiation and statistical mechanics.
In
the 1920's, Einstein embarked on the construction of unified field theories,
although he continued to work on the probabilistic interpretation of quantum
theory, and he persevered with this work in America. He contributed to
statistical mechanics by his development of the quantum theory of a monatomic
gas and he has also accomplished valuable work in connection with atomic
transition probabilities and relativistic cosmology.
After his
retirement he continued to work towards the unification of the basic concepts
of physics, taking the opposite approach, geometrisation, to the majority of
physicists.
Einstein's researches are, of course, well chronicled and
his more important works include 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) are perhaps the
most important.
Albert Einstein received honorary doctorate degrees in
science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities.
During the 1920's he lectured in Europe, America and the Far East and he was
awarded Fellowships or Memberships of all the leading scientific academies
throughout the world. He gained numerous awards in recognition of his work,
including the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London in 1925, and the
Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1935.
Einstein's gifts
inevitably resulted in his dwelling much in intellectual solitude and, for
relaxation, music played an important part in his life. He married Mileva Maric
in 1903 and they had a daughter and two sons; their marriage was dissolved in
1919 and in the same year he married his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal, who died in
1936. He died on April 18, 1955 at Princeton, New Jersey.
From Nobel Lectures, Physics 1901-1921, Elsevier
Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1967
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of
the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited
and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document,
always state the source as shown above.
From: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/einstein-bio.html