Albert Einstein: The Genius Who Revolutionized Physics

A Childhood and Youth Marked by Curiosity

Born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm (Germany) into a non-observant Jewish family, Albert Einstein (1879-1955) showed an early interest in science. At age 12, he discovered Euclidean geometry, which he called "holy little geometry." After chaotic studies in Germany and Switzerland, he graduated in 1900 from the ETH in Zurich.

The Miracle Year of 1905

While working at the Bern Patent Office, Einstein published four groundbreaking papers in 1905:

• Explanation of the photoelectric effect (Nobel Prize 1921)
• Theory of Brownian motion
• Special relativity with its famous equation \(E=mc^2\)
• Mass-energy equivalence

These works upended classical Newtonian physics.

General Theory of Relativity (1915)

After 10 years of research, Einstein formulated his general theory of relativity in 1915, describing gravity as a curvature of spacetime. This theory was confirmed in 1919 during a solar eclipse, making Einstein a global celebrity.

Political Engagement and Exile in the United States

A convinced pacifist, Einstein fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and settled in Princeton (USA). He worked there until his death on April 18, 1955, while advocating for civil rights and against nuclear weapons (despite his role in the Manhattan Project via his 1939 letter to Roosevelt).

Scientific and Cultural Legacy

Einstein left his mark on history through:

• His contributions to quantum mechanics (debates with Niels Bohr (1885-1962))
• His influence on modern cosmology
• His status as a pop culture icon (tongue out, wild white hair)

His brain, preserved after death, was studied to understand his genius.