Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born to Hermann and Pauline Einstein in Ulm, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire. His father was a salesman and engineer, and his mother was a talented pianist who encouraged his early education.

Einstein's family relocated to Italy, but he stayed in Munich to finish his studies. Later, he joined them in Pavia and then moved to Switzerland to complete his secondary education at the Cantonal School in Aarau.

Einstein renounced his German citizenship to avoid military service and lived stateless for several years before becoming a Swiss citizen in 1901.

Graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School (ETH Zurich) with a teaching diploma in physics and mathematics. Though his grades were good, his independent thinking sometimes put him at odds with his professors.

Unable to find a teaching position, Einstein took a job as a technical assistant examiner at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern. This position allowed him time to pursue his own scientific research.

Married his first wife, Mileva Marić, a Serbian physicist and mathematician he met at ETH Zurich. They had two sons together, Hans Albert and Eduard.

In his "Miracle Year," Einstein published four revolutionary papers: on the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²). These papers fundamentally changed modern physics and earned him a doctorate from the University of Zurich.

Received his first academic position as associate professor of theoretical physics at the University of Zurich, leaving the patent office behind.

Moved to Berlin to become director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics and professor at the Humboldt University of Berlin. His marriage to Mileva deteriorated during this time.

Presented the field equations of general relativity to the Prussian Academy of Sciences. This theory extended special relativity and provided a new theory of gravitation, fundamentally changing our understanding of space, time, and gravity.

Divorced his first wife Mileva Marić and married his cousin Elsa Löwenthal. The same year, British astronomer Arthur Eddington's observations during a solar eclipse confirmed Einstein's general relativity predictions, making him world-famous.

Received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory. Notably, the prize was not awarded for his relativity theories.

Began his famous debates with Niels Bohr at the Solvay Conferences about quantum mechanics. Einstein's famous statement "God does not play dice with the universe" expressed his discomfort with the probabilistic nature of quantum theory.

Fled Nazi Germany after Hitler came to power and emigrated to the United States. He accepted a position at the newly formed Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, where he would spend the rest of his life.

Co-authored the famous EPR (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen) paradox paper questioning the completeness of quantum mechanics and introducing what is now known as quantum entanglement.

His second wife Elsa Löwenthal Einstein died from heart and kidney problems. Einstein was deeply affected by her death and never remarried.

At the urging of fellow physicist Leo Szilard, Einstein signed a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt warning about the potential development of atomic bombs by Nazi Germany. This letter contributed to the establishment of the Manhattan Project.

Officially became a citizen of the United States while retaining his Swiss citizenship. He strongly opposed nationalism and was a vocal advocate for world peace.

Diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm that would eventually cause his death. He declined surgery, saying "I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially."

Was offered the position of President of Israel after Chaim Weizmann's death, but declined, saying he lacked the natural aptitude and experience for dealing with people.

Died at Princeton Hospital from internal bleeding caused by the rupture of his abdominal aortic aneurysm. His last words were spoken in German to a nurse who didn't understand the language. His brain was preserved for research without his family's consent.