Entertaining Einstein. Essential facts about the life of Albert Einstein

The name of this scientist is familiar to everyone. And if his achievements are an integral part school curriculum, then the biography of Albert Einstein remains outside its scope. This is the greatest scientist. His work has shaped the development of modern physics. Besides, Albert Einstein was a very interesting person. short biography will acquaint you with achievements, milestones in life and some interesting facts about this scientist.

Childhood

The years of the life of the genius - 1879-1955. Albert Einstein's biography begins on March 14, 1879. It was then that he was born in the city. His father was a poor Jewish merchant. He maintained a small workshop for electrical goods.

It is known that until the age of three, Albert did not speak, however, he showed extraordinary curiosity already in his early years. It was interesting for the future scientist to know how the world works. In addition, from a young age he showed ability for mathematics, could understand abstract ideas. At the age of 12, Albert Einstein himself studied Euclidean geometry from books.

A biography for children, we believe, must certainly include one curious fact about Albert. It is known that the famous scientist in childhood was not a child prodigy. Moreover, those around him doubted its usefulness. Einstein's mother suspected that the child had a congenital deformity (the fact is that he had a large head). The future genius at school has established himself as slow, lazy, and withdrawn. Everyone laughed at him. The teachers believed that he was practically incapable of anything. It will be very useful for schoolchildren to learn how difficult the childhood of such a great scientist as Albert Einstein was. A short biography for children should not just be a listing of facts, but also teach something. In this case - tolerance, self-confidence. If your child is desperate and considers himself incapable of anything, just tell him about Einstein's childhood. He did not give up, retained faith in his strength, as evidenced by the further biography of Albert Einstein. The scientist has proven that he is capable of much.

Moving to Italy

The young scientist was repelled by the boredom and regulation at the Munich school. In 1894, due to business failures, the family was forced to leave Germany. The Einsteins went to Italy, to Milan. Albert, who was 15 at the time, took the opportunity to drop out of school. He spent another year with his parents in Milan. However, it soon became clear that Albert must decide in life. After graduating from high school in Switzerland (in Arrau), the biography of Albert Einstein continues with his studies at the Zurich Polytechnic.

Studying at the Zurich Polytechnic

He did not like the teaching methods at the polytechnic. The young man often skipped lectures, devoting his free time to studying physics, as well as playing the violin, which was Einstein's favorite instrument all his life. Albert managed to pass the exams in 1900 (he prepared from the notes of a fellow student). So Einstein got his degree. It is known that the professors had a very low opinion of the graduate and did not recommend him a scientific career in the future.

Work in the patent office

After receiving his diploma, the future scientist began to work as an expert in the patent office. Since the assessment of technical characteristics usually took a young specialist about 10 minutes, he had a lot of free time. Thanks to this, Albert Einstein began to develop his own theories. A short biography and his discoveries soon became known to many.

Einstein's three important works

1905 was a significant year in the development of physics. It was then that Einstein published important works that played an outstanding role in the history of this science in the 20th century. The first of the articles was devoted to The scientist made important predictions about the motion of particles suspended in a liquid. This movement, he noted, is due to the collision of molecules. Later, the scientist's predictions were confirmed empirically.

Albert Einstein, a brief biography and discoveries of which are just beginning, soon published a second work, this time devoted to the photoelectric effect. Albert put forward a hypothesis about the nature of light, which was nothing less than revolutionary. The scientist suggested that under certain circumstances, light can be considered as a stream of photons - particles, the energy of which is related to the frequency of the light wave. Almost all physicists immediately agreed with Einstein's idea. However, for the theory of photons to gain acceptance in quantum mechanics, it took 20 years of intense efforts by theorists and experimenters. But the most revolutionary work of Einstein was the third, "On the electrodynamics of moving bodies." In it, Albert Einstein expounded the ideas of WHAT (the special theory of relativity) with extraordinary clarity. Brief biography of the scientist continues a little story about this theory.

Private theory of relativity

It destroyed the concept of time and space that had existed in science since the time of Newton. A. Poincaré and G. A. Lorentz created a number of provisions of the new theory, but only Einstein was able to clearly formulate its postulates in physical language. This concerns, first of all, as well as the presence of a limit to the signal propagation speed. And today you can find statements that the theory of relativity was allegedly created even before Einstein. However, this is not true, since in WHAT the formulas (many of which were actually derived by Poincaré and Lorentz) are important not so much as the correct foundations from the point of view of physics. After all, these formulas follow from them. Only Albert Einstein was able to reveal the theory of relativity in terms of physical content.

Einstein's perspective on the structure of theories

General theory of relativity (GR)

Albert Einstein from 1907 to 1915 worked on a new theory of gravitation based on the principles of the theory of relativity. The path that led Albert to success was tortuous and difficult. main idea General relativity, built by him, consists in the presence of an inextricable connection between the geometry of space-time and the gravitational field. Space-time in the presence of gravitating masses, according to Einstein, becomes non-Euclidean. He has a curvature, which is greater, the more intense in this region of space the gravitational field. Albert Einstein presented the final equations of general relativity in December 1915, during a meeting at the Berlin Academy of Sciences. This theory is the pinnacle of Albert's creativity. She is, by all accounts, one of the most beautiful in physics.

The 1919 eclipse and its role in the fate of Einstein

The understanding of general relativity, however, did not come immediately. Few specialists were interested in this theory for the first three years. Only a few scientists understood it. However, in 1919 the situation changed dramatically. Then, direct observations were able to verify one of the paradoxical predictions of this theory - that a ray of light from a distant star is bent by the gravitational field of the Sun. Verification can be carried out only with a total solar eclipse. In 1919, the phenomenon could be observed in those parts of the world where the weather was good. This made it possible to accurately photograph the position of the stars at the time of the eclipse. Equipped by the English astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, the expedition was able to obtain information that confirmed Einstein's hypothesis. Albert literally became a world famous celebrity overnight. The glory that befell him was immense. For a long time, the theory of relativity has become a subject of discussion. Newspapers of all countries of the world were full of articles about her. Many popular books have been published, where the authors explained its essence to the inhabitants.

Scientific recognition, Einstein-Bohr controversy

Finally, recognition came in scientific circles. Einstein received the Nobel Prize in 1921 (albeit for quantum theory, not general relativity). He was elected an honorary member of a number of academies. Albert's opinion has become one of the most authoritative in the whole world. Einstein traveled extensively throughout the world in his twenties. He has participated in international conferences held around the world. The role of this scientist was especially important in the discussions that unfolded in the late 1920s on questions of quantum mechanics.

The debates and conversations between Einstein and Bohr on these issues became famous. Einstein could not agree in any way that in a number of cases he operates only with probabilities, and not with exact values \u200b\u200bof quantities. He was not satisfied with the fundamental indeterminacy of the various laws of the microworld. Einstein's favorite expression was: "God does not play dice!" However, Albert was apparently wrong in his disputes with Bohr. As you can see, geniuses are wrong, including Albert Einstein. Biography and interesting Facts about him are complemented by the tragedy that this scientist experienced due to the fact that it is common for everyone to make mistakes.

Einstein's tragedy

The creator of general relativity in the last 30 years of his life, unfortunately, was unproductive. This was due to the fact that the scientist set himself a task of immense magnitude. Albert intended to create a unified theory of all possible interactions. Such a theory, as it is now clear, is possible only within the framework of quantum mechanics. In addition, very little was known before the war about the existence of interactions other than gravitational and electromagnetic. Albert Einstein's titanic efforts therefore ended in nothing. Perhaps this was one of the biggest tragedies in his life.

Pursuit of beauty

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of Albert Einstein's discoveries in science. Today virtually every branch of modern physics is based on the fundamental concepts of the theory of relativity or quantum mechanics. Perhaps no less important is the confidence that Einstein instilled in scientists with his works. He showed that nature is knowable, showed the beauty of its laws. It was the pursuit of beauty that was the meaning of the life of such a great scientist as Albert Einstein. His biography is already coming to an end. It is a pity that one article cannot cover the entire legacy of Albert. But how he made his discoveries is definitely worth telling.

How Einstein Created Theories

Einstein had a peculiar way of thinking. The scientist singled out ideas that seemed disharmonious or inelegant to him. In doing so, he proceeded mainly from aesthetic criteria. Then the scientist proclaimed a general principle that restores harmony. And then he made predictions about how certain physical objects would behave. This approach yielded stunning results. Albert Einstein trained the ability to see a problem from an unexpected angle, rise above it and find an unusual way out. When Einstein was at a standstill, he played the violin, and suddenly a solution popped up in his head.

Moving to the USA, the last years of life

In 1933, the Nazis came to power in Germany. They burned everything. Albert's family had to emigrate to the USA. Here Einstein worked at Princeton, at the Institute basic research... In 1940, the scientist renounced German citizenship and officially became a US citizen. He spent his last years at Princeton, working on his grandiose theory. He devoted minutes of rest to boating on the lake and playing the violin. Albert Einstein died on April 18, 1955.

The biography and discoveries of Albert are still being studied by many scientists. Some of the studies are interesting. In particular, the brain of Albert after death was studied for genius, but nothing exceptional was found. This suggests that each of us can become like Albert Einstein. Biography, summary works and interesting facts about the scientist - all this inspires, isn't it?

The famous figure in the world of natural sciences Albert Einstein (years of life: 1879-1955) is known even to the humanities who do not like exact subjects, because the surname of this person became common noun for people with incredible mental abilities.

Einstein is the founder of physics in its modern sense: the great scientist - the founder of the theory of relativity and the author of more than three hundred scientific papers. Albert is also known as a publicist and public figure, who is an honorary doctor of about twenty higher educational institutions of the world. This person attracts with ambiguity: the facts say that, despite his incredible ingenuity, he was foolish in solving everyday issues, which makes him an interesting figure in the eyes of the public.

Childhood and youth

The biography of the great scientist begins with the small German city of Ulm, located on the Danube River - this is the place where Albert was born on March 14, 1879 in a poor family of Jewish origin.

The father of the genius physicist Herman was engaged in the production of filling mattresses with feather filling, but soon the Albert family moved to the city of Munich. Herman, along with his brother Jacob, went into a small company selling electrical equipment, which at first developed successfully, but soon could not withstand the competition of large firms.

As a child, Albert was considered a dim-witted child, for example, he did not speak until the age of three. Parents were even afraid that their child would never learn to pronounce words, when at the age of 7, Albert barely moved his lips, trying to repeat the learned phrases. Also, the mother of the scientist Paulina was afraid that the child had a congenital deformity: the boy had a large nape, which protruded strongly forward, and Einstein's grandmother constantly repeated that her grandson was fat.

Albert had little contact with his peers and was more fond of solitude, for example, he built houses of cards. From an early age, the great physicist showed a negative attitude towards war: he hated the noisy game of soldiers, because it personifies a bloody war. Einstein's attitude to war did not change throughout his later life: he actively opposed bloodshed and nuclear weapons.

A vivid memory of a genius is the compass that Albert received from his father at the age of five. Then the boy was sick, and Herman showed him an object that interested the child: after all, it is surprising that the arrow of the device showed the same direction. This little subject aroused incredible interest in the young Einstein.

Little Albert was often taught by his uncle Jacob, who from childhood instilled in his nephew's love for exact mathematical sciences. Together they read textbooks on geometry and mathematics, and solving a problem on their own for a young genius has always been happiness. However, Einstein's mother Paulina reacted negatively to such activities and believed that for a five-year-old child, love for the exact sciences would not turn out to be anything good. But it was clear that this man would make great discoveries in the future.

Albert Einstein with his sister

It is also known that Albert was interested in religion from childhood, he believed that it was impossible to start studying the universe without understanding God. The future scientist watched the priests with trepidation and did not understand why the higher biblical reason did not stop the war. When the boy was 12 years old, his religious conviction sank into oblivion due to the study of scientific books. Einstein became committed to the Bible as a highly developed system for managing youth.

After leaving school, Albert enters the Munich gymnasium. The teachers considered him mentally retarded due to the same speech defect. Einstein studied only those subjects that interested him, ignoring history, literature and the German language. He had special problems with the German language: the teacher told Albert in the face that he would not finish school.

Albert Einstein at age 14

Einstein hated going to an educational institution and believed that teachers themselves did not know a lot, but they thought of themselves as upstarts who were allowed to do everything. Because of such judgments, young Albert constantly entered into disputes with them, so he developed a reputation as not only a backward, but also not the best student.

Without graduating from the gymnasium, 16-year-old Albert moved with his family to sunny Italy, to Milan. In the hope of entering the Federal Higher Technical School of Zurich, the future scientist leaves Italy for Sweden on foot. Einstein managed to show decent results in the exact sciences in the exam, but Albert completely failed in the humanities. But the rector of the technical school appreciated the outstanding abilities of the teenager and advised him to enter the Swiss Aarau school, which, by the way, was considered far from the best. And Einstein was not considered a genius at all in this school.

Best students Aarau left to receive high education in the German capital, however, in Berlin, the ability of graduates was poorly rated. Albert recognized the texts of the problems that the director's favorites could not cope with, and solved them. After that, a satisfied future scientist came to Schneider's office, showing the solved problems. Albert angered the head of the school, saying that he unfairly chooses students for the competition.

After successfully completing his studies, Albert enters the educational institution of his dreams - the Zurich school. However, the young genius had a bad relationship with the professor of the department Weber: the two physicists constantly swore and argued.

The beginning of a scientific career

Due to disagreements with professors at the institute, Albert was closed the path to science. He passed the exams well, but not perfect, the professors denied the student a scientific career. Einstein worked with interest at the scientific department of the Polytechnic Institute, Weber said that his student was a smart guy, but did not accept criticism.

At the age of 22, Albert received his teaching diploma in mathematics and physics. But due to the same quarrels with teachers, Einstein could not find a job, having spent two years in an agonizing search for a permanent job. Albert lived poorly and could not even buy food. Friends of the scientist helped to get a job in the patent office, where he worked for a long time.

In 1904, Albert began cooperation with the journal "Annals of Physics", gaining authority in the publication, and in 1905 the scientist publishes his own scientific works. But the revolution in the world of science was made by three articles of the great physicist:

• To the electrodynamics of moving bodies, which became the basis of the theory of relativity;
• The work that laid the foundation for quantum theory;
• The scientific article that made the discovery in statistical physics about Brownian motion.

Theory of relativity

Einstein's theory of relativity radically changed the scientific physical concepts that used to be based on Newtonian mechanics, which existed for about two hundred years. But the theory of relativity, deduced by Albert Einstein, was able to fully understand only a few, so in educational institutions teach only the special theory of relativity, which is part of the general one. SRT speaks about the dependence of space and time on speed: the higher the speed of the body, the more distorted both dimensions and time.

According to SRT, it is possible to travel in time by overcoming the speed of light, therefore, based on the impossibility of such travels, a limitation was introduced: the speed of any object cannot exceed the speed of light. For small speeds, space and time are not distorted, therefore, the classical laws of mechanics are applied here, and high speeds, for which the distortion is noticeable, are called relativistic. And this is only a small part of both the special and the general theory of Einstein's entire motion.

Nobel Prize

Albert Einstein has been nominated for the Nobel Prize more than once, but this award has bypassed the scientist for about 12 years because of his new and not clear views on exact science. However, the committee decided to compromise and nominate Albert for his work on the theory of the photoelectric effect, for which the scientist was awarded the prize. All due to the fact that this invention is not so revolutionary, in contrast to general relativity, for which Albert, in fact, prepared his speech.

However, at the time when the scientist received a telegram from the committee about the nomination, the scientist was in Japan, so they decided to present him with the award in 1922 for 1921. However, there are rumors that Albert knew long before the trip that he would be nominated. But the scientist decided not to stay in Stockholm at such a crucial moment.

Personal life

The life of the great scientist is covered with interesting facts: Albert Einstein is a strange man. It is known that he disliked wearing socks and also hated brushing his teeth. In addition, he had a bad memory for simple things, for example, for phone numbers.

Albert married Mileva Maric at the age of 26. Despite the 11-year marriage, the spouses soon had disagreements about family life, according to rumors, due to the fact that Albert was still that womanizer and had about ten passions. However, he offered his wife a cohabitation contract, according to which she had to comply with certain conditions, for example, to periodically wash things. But under the contract, Mileva and Albert did not provide for any love relationship: The ex-spouses even slept separately. The genius had children from his first marriage: the youngest son died while in a psychiatric hospital, and the scientist did not have a relationship with the older one.

After his divorce from Mileva, the scientist married Elsa Leventhal, his cousin. However, he was also interested in Elsa's daughter, who did not harbor mutual feelings for a man who is 18 years older than her.

Many who knew the scientist noted that he was an unusually kind person, was ready to lend a helping hand and admit mistakes.

Cause of death and memory

In the spring of 1955, during a walk between Einstein and his friend, a simple conversation about life and death began, during which the 76-year-old scientist said that death is also a relief.

On April 13, Albert's condition deteriorated sharply: doctors diagnosed aortic aneurysm, but the scientist refused to be operated on. Albert was in the hospital, where he suddenly got sick. He whispered words on native language, however, the nurse could not understand them. The woman approached the patient's bed, but Einstein had already died of a hemorrhage in the abdominal cavity on April 18, 1955. All his acquaintances spoke of him as a meek and very kind person. This was a bitter loss for the entire scientific world.

Quotes

Quotes from a physicist about philosophy and life are a subject for a separate discussion. Einstein formed his own and independent outlook on life, with which more than one generation agrees.

• There are only two ways to live life. The first is that miracles do not exist. The second - as if there were only miracles around.
• If you want to lead happy life, you must be attached to a goal, not to people or to things.
• Logic can lead you from point A to point B, and imagination can take you anywhere ...
• If the theory of relativity is confirmed, then the Germans will say that I am German, and the French - that I am a citizen of the world; but if my theory is refuted, the French will declare me German and the Germans a Jew.
• If a mess on a table means a mess in your head, then what does an empty table mean?
• It is people who cause me seasickness, not the sea. But I'm afraid science has not yet found a cure for this ailment.
• Education is what remains after everything learned in school is forgotten.
• We are all geniuses. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life, considering itself a fool.
• The only thing that prevents me from studying is the education I received.
• Strive not to achieve success, but to ensure that your life has meaning.

Albert Einstein (German Albert Einstein; March 14, 1879, Ulm, Württemberg, Germany - April 18, 1955, Princeton, New Jersey, USA) - theoretical physicist, one of the founders of modern theoretical physics, Nobel Prize laureate in physics in 1921 , a public figure-humanist. He lived in Germany (1879-1893, 1914-1933), Switzerland (1893-1914) and the USA (1933-1955). Honorary Doctor of about 20 leading universities in the world, a member of many Academies of Sciences, including a foreign honorary member of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1926).
Albert Einstein 1920


Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in the southern German city of Ulm, into a poor Jewish family. His parents were married three years before the birth of their son, on August 8, 1876. Father, Hermann Einstein (1847-1902), was at that time a co-owner of a small business for the production of feather padding for mattresses and featherbeds.
Hermann Einstein

Mother, Pauline Einstein (nee Koch, 1858-1920), came from the family of a wealthy corn merchant Julius Derzbacher (in 1842 changed his last name to Koch) and Jetta Bernheimer.
Paulina Einstein

In the summer of 1880, the family moved to Munich, where Hermann Einstein, together with his brother Jacob, founded a small electrical equipment trading company.
Albert Einstein at the age of three. 1882

Albert's younger sister Maria (Maya, 1881-1951) was born in Munich.
Albert Einstein with his sister

Primary education Albert Einstein graduated from a local Catholic school. For about 12 years he experienced a state of deep religiosity, but soon reading popular science books made him a freethinker and forever gave rise to a skeptical attitude towards authorities. From childhood impressions, Einstein later recalled as the most powerful: the compass, Euclid's "Beginnings" and (about 1889) "Critique of Pure Reason" by Immanuel Kant. In addition, at the initiative of his mother, he began playing the violin at the age of six. Einstein's passion for music continued throughout his life. While already in the United States in Princeton, in 1934, Albert Einstein gave a charity concert, where he performed the works of Mozart on the violin for the benefit of scientists and cultural figures who had emigrated from Nazi Germany.
Albert Einstein is 14 years old. 1893

In the gymnasium, he was not among the first students (with the exception of mathematics and Latin). The entrenched system of mechanical memorization of material by students (which, he believed, harms the very spirit of learning and creative thinking), as well as the authoritarian attitude of teachers towards students, aroused rejection in Albert Einstein, so he often entered into disputes with his teachers.
In 1894, the Einsteins moved from Munich to the Italian city of Pavia, near Milan, where the brothers Hermann and Jacob transferred their firm. Albert himself stayed with relatives in Munich for some time to finish all six classes of the gymnasium. Having never received a matriculation certificate, in 1895 he joined his family in Pavia.
In the fall of 1895, Albert Einstein arrived in Switzerland to take the entrance exams for the Higher technical school (Polytechnic) in Zurich and become a physics teacher. Brilliantly showing himself in the exam in mathematics, he at the same time failed the exams in botany and french, which did not allow him to enter the Zurich Polytechnic. However, the director of the school advised the young man to enter the final class of the school in Aarau (Switzerland) in order to receive a certificate and repeat the admission.
At the Aarau cantonal school, Albert Einstein devoted his free time to studying Maxwell's electromagnetic theory. In September 1896, he successfully passed all final exams at school, with the exception of the French exam, and received a certificate
Maturity certificate issued to Albert Einstein in 1896, at the age of 17, after studying in the cantonal high school in Aarau, Switzerland.

In October 1896 he was admitted to the Faculty of Education at the Polytechnic. Here he became friends with a fellow student, mathematician Marcel Grossman (1878-1936), and also met a Serbian student of the Faculty of Medicine Mileva Maric (4 years older than him), who later became his wife. In the same year, Einstein renounced German citizenship. To obtain Swiss citizenship, it was required to pay 1,000 Swiss francs, but the poor financial situation of the family allowed him to do this only 5 years later. The father's enterprise this year finally went bankrupt, Einstein's parents moved to Milan, where Hermann Einstein, already without his brother, opened a firm for the sale of electrical equipment.
The style and methodology of teaching at the Polytechnic differed significantly from the ossified and authoritarian Prussian school, so further education was given to the young man more easily. He had first-class teachers, including the wonderful geometer Hermann Minkowski (Einstein often missed his lectures, which he sincerely regretted) and the analyst Adolf Hurwitz.
In 1900, Einstein graduated from the Polytechnic with a diploma in mathematics and physics. He passed the exams successfully, but not brilliantly. Many professors highly appreciated the abilities of Einstein's student, but no one wanted to help him continue his scientific career. Einstein himself later recalled: I was bullied by my professors, who did not like me because of my independence and closed my path to science.
Although the next year, 1901, Einstein received Swiss citizenship, but until the spring of 1902 he could not find a permanent job - not even a school teacher. Due to the lack of earnings, he literally starved, not eating for several days in a row. This became the cause of liver disease, from which the scientist suffered until the end of his life. Despite the hardships that haunted him in 1900-1902, Einstein found time to further study physics.
Albert Einstein with friends. 1903


In 1901, the Berlin Annals of Physics published his first article "Consequences of the theory of capillarity" (Folgerungen aus den Capillaritätserscheinungen), devoted to the analysis of the forces of attraction between atoms of liquids on the basis of the theory of capillarity. A former classmate, Marcel Grossman, helped to overcome the difficulties, who recommended Einstein for the position of an expert III class in the Federal Bureau of Patent Inventions (Bern) with a salary of 3,500 francs a year (during his student years he lived on 100 francs a month).
Einstein worked at the Patent Office from July 1902 to October 1909, primarily in the peer review of applications for inventions. In 1903 he became a permanent employee of the Bureau. The nature of his work allowed Einstein to devote his free time to research in the field of theoretical physics.
Albert Einstein is 25 years old. 1904


In October 1902, Einstein received news from Italy of his father's illness; Hermann Einstein died a few days after his son's arrival.
On January 6, 1903, Einstein married twenty-seven-year-old Mileva Maric. They had three children.
Mileva Maric


1905 went down in the history of physics as the "Year of Miracles" (lat. Annus Mirabilis). This year, Annals of Physics, Germany's leading physics journal, published three outstanding papers by Einstein, which marked the beginning of a new scientific revolution.
Many prominent physicists have remained faithful to classical mechanics and the concept of aether, among them Lorentz, J.J. Thomson, Lenard, Lodge, Nernst, Vin. However, some of them (for example, Lorentz himself) did not reject the results special theory relativity, however, they interpreted them in the spirit of Lorentz's theory, preferring to look at the space-time concept of Einstein-Minkowski as a purely mathematical device.
In 1907, Einstein published the quantum theory of heat capacity (the old theory at low temperatures was strongly at variance with experiment. At the same time, Smoluchowski, whose paper was published several months later than Einstein's, came to similar conclusions. Molecules ", Einstein submitted to the Polytechnic as a dissertation and in the same 1905 received the title of Doctor of Philosophy (equivalent to a candidate of natural sciences) in physics. The following year, Einstein developed his theory in a new article" On the theory of Brownian motion. "Soon (1908) Perrin's measurements fully confirmed the adequacy of Einstein's model, which became the first experimental proof of the molecular-kinetic theory, which was actively attacked by positivists in those years.
The works of 1905 brought Einstein, although not immediately, worldwide fame. On April 30, 1905, he sent to the University of Zurich the text of his doctoral dissertation on "Redefining Molecular Sizes." On January 15, 1906, he received his Ph.D. in physics. He corresponded and met with the most famous physicists in the world, and Planck in Berlin included the theory of relativity in his training course... In letters he is called "Mr. Professor", but for another four years (until October 1909) Einstein continues to serve in the Patent Office; in 1906 he was promoted (he became a class II expert) and his salary was increased. In October 1908, Einstein was invited to read an elective course at the University of Bern, however, without any payment. In 1909, he attended a convention of naturalists in Salzburg, where the elite of German physics had gathered, and met Planck for the first time; after 3 years of correspondence, they quickly became close friends and maintained this friendship for the rest of their lives. After the congress, Einstein finally received a paid post of extraordinary professor at the University of Zurich (December 1909), where his old friend Marcel Grossmann taught geometry. The pay was small, especially for a family with two children, and in 1911 Einstein did not hesitate to accept an invitation to head the physics department at the German University in Prague. During this period, Einstein continued to publish a series of articles on thermodynamics, relativity, and quantum theory. In Prague, he intensifies research on the theory of gravitation, with the goal of creating a relativistic theory of gravity and fulfilling the old dream of physicists - to exclude Newtonian long-range action from this area.
In 1911, Einstein participated in the First Solvay Congress (Brussels) devoted to quantum physics. There was his only meeting with Poincaré, who continued to reject the theory of relativity, although he personally had great respect for Einstein.
Photos of the participants of the first Solvay Congress in 1911 Brussels, Belgium.
Solvay Congresses - a series of congresses that began on the visionary initiative of Ernest Solvay and continued under the leadership of the International Institute physics, presented a unique opportunity for physicists to discuss fundamental problems that were in the center of their attention at different periods.
Sitting (left to right): Walter Nernst, Marcel Brillouin, Ernest Solvay, Hendrik Lorenz, Emile Warburg, Wilhelm Vin, Jean Baptiste Perrin, Marie Curie, Henri Poincaré.
Standing (from left to right): Robert Goldschmidt, Max Planck, Heinrich Rubens, Arnold Sommerfeld, Frederik Lindmann, Maurice de Broglie, Martin Knudsen, Friedrich Gazenorl, Georg Hostlet, Eduard Herzen, James Jeans, Ernest Ruthertford-Heike, Allen Kamensthe , Paul Langevin.

A year later, Einstein returned to Zurich, where he became a professor at his native Polytechnic and lectured there in physics. In 1913, he attended the Congress of Naturalists in Vienna, visited 75-year-old Ernst Mach; Once Mach's criticism of Newtonian mechanics made a huge impression on Einstein and ideologically prepared the theory of relativity for innovations.
Second Solvay Congress (1913)
Seated (left to right): Walter Nernst, Ernest Rutherford, Wilhelm Wien, Joseph John Thomson, Emil Warburg, Hendrik Lorenz, Marcel Brillouin, William Barlow, Heike Kamerling-Onnes, Robert Williams Wood, Louis Georg Gui, Pierre Weiss.
Standing (from left to right): Friedrich Gazenorl, Jules Emile Vershafelt, James Hopwood Jeans, William Henry Bragg, Max von Laue, Heinrich Rubens, Maria Curie, Robert Goldschmidt, Arnold Sommerfeld, Eduard Herzen, Albert Einstein de Frederik Brewern William Pope, Edward Gruneisen, Martin Knudsen, Georg Hostlet, Paul Langevin.


At the end of 1913, on the recommendation of Planck and Nernst, Einstein received an invitation to head the physics research institute being created in Berlin; he is also credited as a professor at the University of Berlin. In addition to being close to Planck's friend, this position had the advantage that it did not oblige him to be distracted by teaching. He accepted the invitation, and in the pre-war 1914 year, a convinced pacifist Einstein arrived in Berlin. Mileva and her children stayed in Zurich, their family broke up. They officially divorced in February 1919.
Albert Einstein with Fritz Haber, 1914

In 1915, in a conversation with the Dutch physicist Vander de Haaz, Einstein proposed a scheme and calculation of the experiment, which after its successful implementation was called the "Einstein-de Haas effect." The result of the experiment inspired Niels Bohr, who two years earlier created a planetary model of the atom, since he confirmed that there are circular electron currents inside atoms, and electrons in their orbits do not emit. It was these propositions that Bohr made the basis of his model. In addition, it was found that the total magnetic moment is twice the expected; the reason for this was clarified when the spin was discovered - the proper angular momentum of the electron.
In June 1919, Einstein married his mother's cousin Elsa Leventhal (née Einstein, 1876-1936) and adopted her two children. At the end of the year, his seriously ill mother Paulina moved in with them; she died in February 1920. Judging by the letters, Einstein took her death hard.


Albert and Elsa Einsteins meet with reporters


After the end of the war, Einstein continued his work in the former areas of physics, and also engaged in new areas - relativistic cosmology and the "Unified field theory", which, according to his plan, was to unite gravity, electromagnetism and (preferably) the theory of the microworld. The first article on cosmology, "Cosmological Considerations for General Relativity," appeared in 1917. After that, Einstein experienced a mysterious "invasion of diseases" - in addition to serious problems with the liver, a stomach ulcer was found, then jaundice and general weakness. For several months he did not get out of bed, but continued to work actively. Only in 1920 did the diseases recede.
Photo of Albert Einstein in his office at the University of Berlin in 1920.

Einstein at the home of Leiden University physics professor Paul Ehrenfest in 1920.


Einstein visits Amsterdam with experimental physicist Peter Zeman (left) and his friend Paul Ehrenfest. (Around 1920)


In May 1920, Einstein, along with other members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences, was sworn in as a civil servant and was legally considered a German citizen. However, he retained Swiss citizenship until the end of his life. In the 1920s, receiving invitations from everywhere, he traveled extensively in Europe (with a Swiss passport),
Albert Einstein in Barcelona, \u200b\u200b1923

lectured for scientists, students and for an inquisitive audience.
Albert Einstein giving a lecture in Vienna in 1921


Einstein Performs in Gothenburg, Sweden. 1923


He also visited the USA, where a special welcome resolution of the Congress (1921) was adopted in honor of the eminent guest.
Albert Einstein and observatory staff near the 40-inch refractor of the Yerkes Observatory. 1921


Guided tour of Marconi Station in New Brunswick, NJ. The photo shows famous scientists, including Tesla, 1921


At the end of 1922, he visited India, where he had a long relationship with Tagore, and China. Einstein met winter in Japan.
Albert Einstein's visit to Tohoku University. Left to right: Kotaro Honda, Albert Einstein, Keichi Aichi, Shirouta Kusakabe. 1922


In 1923 he spoke in Jerusalem, where it was planned to open the Hebrew University soon (1925).
Einstein was repeatedly nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics, but the members of the Nobel Committee for a long time did not dare to award the prize to the author of such revolutionary theories. In the end, a diplomatic solution was found: the prize for 1921 was awarded to Einstein (at the very end of 1922) for the theory of the photoelectric effect, that is, for the most indisputable and well-tested work in the experiment; however, the text of the decision contained a neutral addition: "... and for other works in the field of theoretical physics."
On November 10, 1922, the secretary of the Swedish Academy of Sciences Christopher Aurvillius wrote to Einstein:
Albert Einstein in Berlin. 1922

As I already informed you by telegram, the Royal Academy of Sciences at its yesterday's meeting decided to award you a prize in physics for the past (1921) year, thereby celebrating your work in theoretical physics, in particular the discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, without taking into account your work on the theory of relativity and the theory of gravity, which will be evaluated after their confirmation in the future.
Naturally, Einstein devoted the traditional Nobel speech (1923) to the theory of relativity.
Albert Einstein. Official photograph of the 1921 Nobel Prize winner in physics.


In 1924, the young Indian physicist Shatyendranath Bose, in a short letter, asked Einstein for help in publishing an article in which he advanced the assumption underlying modern quantum statistics. Bose proposed to consider light as a gas of photons. Einstein concluded that the same statistics can be used for atoms and molecules in general. In 1925, Einstein published an article by Bose in German translation, and then his own article in which he outlined a generalized Bose model applicable to systems of identical particles with integer spin, called bosons. On the basis of this quantum statistics, now known as the Bose-Einstein statistics, both physicists back in the mid-1920s theoretically substantiated the existence of the fifth state of aggregation of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate.
Portrait of Albert Einstein. 1925


In 1927, at the Fifth Solvay Congress, Einstein strongly opposed the "Copenhagen interpretation" of Max Born and Niels Bohr, who interpreted the mathematical model of quantum mechanics as essentially probabilistic. Einstein stated that the supporters of this interpretation "make virtue out of need," and the probabilistic nature only testifies to the fact that our knowledge of the physical essence of microprocesses is incomplete. He sarcastically remarked: "God does not play dice" (German: Der Herrgott würfelt nicht), to which Niels Bohr objected: "Einstein, do not tell God what to do." Einstein accepted the "Copenhagen interpretation" only as a temporary, unfinished version, which, as physics progressed, had to be replaced by a complete theory of the microworld. He himself attempted to create a deterministic nonlinear theory, the approximate consequence of which would be quantum mechanics.
Solvay's 1927 Congress on Quantum Mechanics.
1st row (from left to right): Irving Langmuir, Max Planck, Marie Curie, Henrik Lorenz, Albert Einstein, Paul Langevin, Charles Guy, Charles Wilson, Owen Richardson.
2nd row (from left to right): Peter Debye, Martin Knudsen, William Bragg, Hendrik Kramers, Paul Dirac, Arthur Compton, Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr.
Standing (from left to right): Auguste Piccard, Emile Henriot, Paul Ehrenfest, Eduard Herzen, Théophile de Donder, Erwin Schrödinger, Jules Emile Vershafelt, Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, Ralph Fowler, Leon Brillouin.


In 1928, Einstein saw off Lorentz's last journey, with whom he became very friends in his last years. It was Lorenz who nominated Einstein for the Nobel Prize in 1920 and supported her the following year.
Albert Einstein and Hendrik Anton Lorenz in Leiden in 1921.


In 1929, the world celebrated Einstein's 50th birthday noisily. The hero of the day did not take part in the celebrations and hid in his villa near Potsdam, where he enthusiastically grew roses. Here he received friends - scientists, Tagore, Emmanuel Lasker, Charlie Chaplin and others.
Einstein and Rabindranath Tagore


Albert Einstein received an honorary doctorate from the Sorbonne University in Paris in November 1929.


Albert Einstein plays the violin during a benefit concert at the New Synagogue in Berlin on January 29, 1930.

Portrait of Albert Einstein taken by the clairvoyant Madame Sylvia in Berlin in 1930. For a long time it hung in the visitor's hall in her office.


Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein at the 1930 Solvay Congress in Brussels


Einstein opens a radio show. Berlin, August 1930


Einstein at the Berlin radio show, August 1930


In 1931, Einstein visited the United States again.
Einstein's departure to America. December 1930


Albert Einstein, in 1931, was struck by the enthusiasm of journalists in the United States who wanted him to explain his theory of relativity to them. Einstein said it would take at least three days


In Pasadena, he was greeted very warmly by Michelson, who had four months to live.
Albert Einstein, Albert Abraham Michelson, Robert Andrews Milliken. 1931


Returning to Berlin in the summer, Einstein, in a speech before the Physical Society, paid tribute to the memory of the remarkable experimenter who laid the foundation stone of the theory of relativity.
Until about 1926, Einstein worked in so many areas of physics, from cosmological models to investigating the causes of river meanders. Further, with rare exceptions, he focuses his efforts on quantum problems and the Unified Field Theory.
Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein. December 1925


As the economic crisis in Weimar Germany grew, political instability intensified, contributing to the strengthening of radical nationalist and anti-Semitic sentiments. Insults and threats against Einstein became more frequent, and one of the leaflets even offered a large reward (50,000 marks) for his head. After the Nazis came to power, all of Einstein's works were either attributed to "Aryan" physicists, or declared a distortion of true science. Lenard, who headed the German Physics group, proclaimed: “The most important example of the dangerous influence of Jewish circles on the study of nature is Einstein with his theories and mathematical chatter, composed of old information and arbitrary additions ... We must understand that it is unworthy of a German to be a spiritual follower of a Jew ". An uncompromising racial cleansing unfolded in all scientific circles in Germany.
In 1933, Einstein had to leave Germany, to which he was very attached, forever.
Albert Einstein and his wife after exile in Belgium, where they lived in the Villa Savoyarde in Haan. 1933


Villa Savoyarde in Haan (Belgium), where Einstein lived for a short time after his expulsion from Germany. 1933


Einstein gives interviews to reporters at the Savoyarde Villa in Belgium. 1933


Albert Einstein with his wife in 1933 at a villa in Savoyarde.


Together with his family, he left for the United States of America on guest visas.
Albert Einstein in Santa Barbara, 1933

Soon, in protest against the crimes of Nazism, he renounced German citizenship and membership in the Prussian and Bavarian academies of sciences.
After moving to the United States, Albert Einstein was promoted to professor of physics at the newly established Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, NJ). The eldest son, Hans-Albert (1904-1973), soon followed (1938); he subsequently became a recognized specialist in hydraulics and professor University of California (1947). Einstein's youngest son, Edward (1910-1965), fell ill with severe schizophrenia around 1930 and ended his days in a Zurich psychiatric hospital. Einstein's cousin Lina died in Auschwitz, another sister, Bertha Dreyfus, died in Theresienstadt concentration camp
Albert Einstein with his daughter and son. November 1930


In the United States, Einstein instantly became one of the most famous and respected people countries, gaining a reputation as the most brilliant scientist in history, as well as the personification of the image of the "absent-minded professor" and the intellectual capabilities of man in general. The following January, 1934, he was invited to the White House to see President Franklin Roosevelt, had a cordial conversation with him, and even spent the night there. Every day, Einstein received hundreds of letters of various contents, to which (even children) he tried to answer. As a world-renowned natural scientist, he remained an approachable, modest, undemanding and affable person.
Portrait of Albert Einstein. 1934


Elsa died of heart disease in December 1936; Marcel Grossman had died three months earlier in Zurich. Einstein's loneliness was brightened by his sister Maya,
Sister Maya

stepdaughter Margot (daughter of Elsa from her first marriage), secretary Ellen Ducas and cat Tiger. To the surprise of the Americans, Einstein never got a car or TV. Maya was partially paralyzed after a stroke in 1946, and every evening Einstein read books to his beloved sister.
In August 1939, Einstein signed a letter, initiated by the Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, addressed to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The letter drew the president's attention to the possibility that nazi Germany will acquire an atomic bomb.
Albert Einstein receives a certificate of American citizenship from Judge Philip Foreman. October 1, 1940


After several months of deliberation, Roosevelt decided to take this threat seriously and opened his own project to create atomic weapons. Einstein himself did not take part in these works. Later, he regretted the letter he signed, realizing that for the new leader of the United States, Harry Truman, nuclear energy serves as a deterrent. Later, he criticized the development of nuclear weapons, their use in Japan and the tests on the Bikini Atoll (1954), and considered his involvement in accelerating work on the American nuclear program to be the greatest tragedy of his life. His aphorisms were widely known: “We won the war, but not the peace”; “If the third world war will be fought atomic bombs, then the fourth - with stones and sticks. "
Celebrating the 70th anniversary. 1949


In the postwar years, Einstein became one of the founders of the Pugwash movement of scientists for peace. Although his first conference was held after the death of Einstein (1957), the initiative to create such a movement was expressed in the widely known Russell-Einstein Manifesto (co-written with Bertrand Russell), which also warned of the dangers of creating and using hydrogen bomb... Within the framework of this movement, Einstein, who was its chairman, together with Albert Schweitzer, Bertrand Russell, Frederic Joliot-Curie and other world famous scientists, fought against the arms race, the creation of nuclear and thermonuclear weapons. Einstein also called for the creation of a world government in the name of preventing a new war, for which he received harsh criticism in the Soviet press (1947)
Niels Bohr, James Frank, Albert Einstein, October 3, 1954


Until the end of his life, Einstein continued to work on the study of problems of cosmology, but he directed his main efforts towards creating a unified field theory.
In 1955, Einstein's health deteriorated sharply. He wrote a will and said to his friends: "I have completed my task on earth." His last work was an unfinished appeal calling for the prevention of nuclear war.
His stepdaughter Margot recalled the last meeting with Einstein at the hospital: He spoke with deep calmness, about doctors even with a slight humor, and waited for his death as an upcoming "phenomenon of nature." How fearless he was in life, so quiet and peaceful he met death. Without any sentimentality and without regret, he left this world.
Albert Einstein in the last years of his life (probably 1950)

A scientist who turned mankind's ideas about the Universe, Albert Einstein died on April 18, 1955 at 1:25 am, at the 77th year of his life in Princeton from a ruptured aortic aneurysm. Before his death, he uttered a few words in German, but the American nurse could not reproduce them later.
On April 19, 1955, the funeral of the great scientist was held without wide publicity, which was attended by only 12 of his closest friends. His body was burned at the Ewing Cemetery crematorium, and his ashes were scattered in the wind.
Newspaper headlines with obituaries. 1955


Einstein was passionate about music, especially compositions from the 18th century. Over the years, among his preferred composers were Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Haydn and Schubert, and in recent years - Brahms. He played well the violin, which he never parted with.
Albert Einstein plays the violin. 1921

Albert Einstein's Violin Concerto. 1941


Along with Julian Huxley, Thomas Mann and John Dewey, he served on the advisory board of the First Humanist Society of New York
Thomas Mann with Albert Einstein at Princeton, 1938


He strongly condemned the "Oppenheimer case", which in 1953 was accused of "communist sympathies" and was removed from secret work.
Physicist Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein talk at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study. 1940s

Alarmed by the rapid rise of anti-Semitism in Germany, Einstein supported the Zionist movement's call for a Jewish national home in Palestine and delivered a series of articles and speeches on the topic. The idea of \u200b\u200bopening the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (1925) received especially active assistance from him.
Upon arrival in New York, the leaders of the World Zionist Organization met with Albert Einstein. In the photo Mossinson, Einstein, Chaim Weizmann, Dr. Ussyshkin. 1921


He explained his position:
Until recently, I lived in Switzerland, and while I was there, I did not recognize my Jewishness ...
When I arrived in Germany, I first learned that I was a Jew, and more non-Jews helped me to make this discovery than Jews ... Then I realized that only a joint business, which would be dear to all Jews in the world, could lead to the revival of the people ... If no matter how we live among intolerant, soulless and cruel people, I would be the first to reject nationalism in favor of universal humanity.
Dr. Albert Einstein and Meyer Weisgal arrived at the Anglo-American Committee on Palestine. 1946


Albert Einstein testifies on behalf of the UN about the illegal restriction of Jewish immigration to Palestine.


In 1947, Einstein hailed the creation of the State of Israel, hoping for a binational Arab-Jewish solution to the Palestinian problem. He wrote to Paul Ehrenfest in 1921: "Zionism is a truly new Jewish ideal and can restore the joy of existence to the Jewish people." After the Holocaust, he remarked: “Zionism did not protect German Jewry from destruction. But for those who survived, Zionism gave the inner strength to endure the disaster with dignity, without losing healthy self-esteem. " In 1952, Einstein even received an offer to become the second president of Israel, which the scientist politely refused, citing his lack of experience in such work. All his letters and manuscripts (and even the copyright for the commercial use of his image and name) Einstein bequeathed to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Albert Einstein with Ben Gurion, 1951


In addition
Albert Einstein on the ship Portland, December 1931


Albert Einstein arrives at Newark Airport in April 1939.


Albert Einstein lectures at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study. 1940s


Albert Einstein 1947

Albert Einstein: little-known facts from the life of a genius March 16th, 2011

One of these days the brilliant scientist Albert Einstein would have turned 132 years old. After reading in the archive news feeds about the past birthday of my namesake, I asked myself the question: what do I really know about him besides the well-known stereotypes? The associative mechanism of the brain slipped in images and formulas - hair disheveled in creative chaos, a lush mustache, E \u003d mc2, a protruding tongue in a super-popular photograph, the postulates of the theory of relativity, the speed of light, and so on and so forth, which, as it turned out, had nothing to do. to the man Einstein, but was, rather, his pop projection in the mind. A sort of simplified image with two or three tags. I felt ashamed, and I decided to get to know the biography of the great namesake closer. The result of this work is this short, but I hope an interesting excerpt from seven little-known factsthat took place in the life of a genius.

Albert Einstein, 4 years old

Einstein was born a weak and sickly child in difficult childbirth. His giant, irregularly deformed head aroused serious suspicions among doctors about the child's congenital mental retardation. Concerned parents watched in horror as the boy grows up and is silent. Albert did not utter a single word until he was four years old. But even after reaching this seemingly sufficient age for conversation, the boy spoke very slowly, which aggravated the suspicion of some developmental retardation.

First President of Israel - Chaim Weizmann

In 1952, when Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, died, the country's prime minister invited Einstein to head the state. Hey boy, you have to do the same for your country's politics as you do for physics, he suggested to the scientist. However, he refused the honorary position, expressing regret at the lack of the necessary personal qualities for big politics - "I'm afraid I don't have the natural abilities and experience to deal with politicians and properly manage the state," the scientist "froze".

Drawings of Einstein's Brain Research by Dr. Harver

Einstein died in 1955 at the age of 76. He urgently needed an operation, then he could live for several more years. But the scientist refused, telling the doctors: "I want to leave when my body asks for it. Extending life artificially seems bad taste to me. This is my destiny, my time to leave. I will do it elegantly." Seven hours after his death, autopsy expert Thomas Harver removed, without the consent of family and friends, the scientist's brain for study. Moving to work from one state to another, Harvey dragged everywhere with him the alcohol-based brain of a genius. After all, already in the 90s. last century, the brain was found in the new laboratory of Princeton University, where Harver removed them from the skull of the great scientist.

Einstein with his wife Mileva Marich

The genius physicist had an illegitimate daughter from Mileva Maric, his first wife. They formalized the relationship a year after the birth of the child. It is interesting that nothing is known about the further fate of the girl. At this time, Maric lived with her parents in Vojvodina without a lover. Most likely, the girl died or was given to foster care. A year later, in 1903, Einstein and Mari were married in Bern, and in 1904 their son Hans-Albert was born.

The genius managed to leave a mysterious message before his death

Before dying in his sleep, Einstein spoke his last words to the nurse in german, which she did not own. Thus, these words were forever lost to posterity. The last entry ends in mid-sentence: "Political passions fan the flame, people are like their victims ...".

Einstein and Marie Curie

Einstein reflected on the role of women in the army and often joked that sending them in large numbers to the front line would be a real hell for the enemy. In an essay written in 1931, the scientist wrote that in the next war, patriotic women should be sent to the front instead of men. According to the physicist, this would introduce a certain novelty in military tactics, the enemy would be confused and the women would easily prevail over the enemy.

Einstein in the company of friends - forgetful and absent-minded

The smartest guy in the world can't mess around with little things like wearing matching socks or remembering to grab an umbrella in the pouring rain. Einstein had an eerie memory for things he thought were irrelevant. This extended to birthdays as well. As he once wrote to his then-future wife Milevna Marich in a letter, "Accept my belated heartfelt congratulations on your birthday, which was yesterday and which I have forgotten again ...".

Einstein believed in God

In 1921, the scientist received a telegram from New York from Rabbi Herbert Goldstein. He asked if Einstein believed in God and offered to answer with a telegram he paid for, 50 words long. Einstein needed 24 words. I quote: "I believe in the God of Spinoza, who manifests himself in the natural harmony of being, but not at all in God, who cares about the fate and affairs of people."

One of the most famous personalities the first half of the 20th century was Albert Einstein... This great scientist achieved a lot in his life, becoming not only nobel laureate, but also radically changing the scientific understanding of the Universe.

He wrote about 300 scientific papers in physics and about 150 books and articles in various fields of knowledge.

Born in Germany in 1879, he lived for 76 years, having died on April 18, 1955 in the United States, where he worked for the last 15 years of his life.

Some of Einstein's contemporaries said that communication with him was like the fourth dimension. Of course, it is often surrounded by a halo of glory and various legends. That is why there are often cases when certain moments from their enthusiastic fans deliberately exaggerate.

We offer you interesting facts from the life of Albert Einstein.

Photo of 1947

As we said at the beginning, Albert Einstein was extremely famous. Therefore, when random passers-by stopped him in the street, asking in a jubilant voice whether he was, the scientist would often say: "No, forgive me, I am constantly confused with Einstein!"

Once he was asked what is the speed of sound. To this the great physicist replied: "I have no habit of memorizing things that can be easily found in a book."

It is curious that in childhood little Albert developed very slowly. Parents worried that he would be retarded, since he began to speak tolerably only by the age of 7. He is believed to have had a form of autism, possibly Asperger's Syndrome.

Einstein's great love for music is well known. As a child, he learned to play the violin and took it with him all his life.

One day, while reading a newspaper, a scientist came across an article in which they talked about the death of an entire family due to the leakage of sulfur dioxide from a faulty refrigerator. Deciding that this was a mess, Albert Einstein, together with his former student, invented a refrigerator with a different, safer principle of operation. The invention was named “Einstein's Refrigerator”.

It is known that the great physicist had an active civic position. He was a staunch supporter of the civil rights movement and argued that Jews in Germany and blacks in America have equal rights with all. “Ultimately, we are all human,” he said.

Albert Einstein was convinced and strongly opposed any Nazism.

Surely everyone has seen the photo where the scientist shows his tongue. An interesting fact is that this picture was taken on the eve of his 72nd birthday. Tired of cameras, at another request to smile, Albert Einstein stuck out his tongue. Now all over the world this photograph is not only known, but also everyone interprets it in their own way, giving it a metaphysical meaning.

The fact is that signing one of the photographs with his tongue hanging out, the genius said that his gesture was addressed to all of humanity. How can there be without metaphysics! By the way, contemporaries have always emphasized the scientist's subtle humor and the ability to joke wittily.

It is known that Einstein was Jewish by nationality. So in 1952, when the state of Israel had just begun to form into a full-fledged power, the great scientist was offered to become president. Of course, the physicist flatly refused such a high post, citing the fact that he is a scientist and lacks the experience to govern the country.

On the eve of his death, he was offered to undergo surgery, but he refused, saying that "artificial life extension does not make sense." In general, all the visitors who came to the dying genius noted his absolute calmness, and even his cheerful mood. He expected death as an ordinary natural phenomenon, such as rain. In this he is somewhat reminiscent.

An interesting fact is that the last words of Albert Einstein are unknown. He spoke them in German, which his American nurse did not know.

Using the incredible popularity of his own person, the scientist took one dollar for each autograph for some time. He donated the proceeds to charity.

After one scientific dialogue with fellow workers, Albert Einstein said: "God does not play dice." To which Niels Bohr objected: "Stop telling God what to do!"

Interestingly, the scientist never considered himself an atheist. But he also did not believe in a personified God. It is well known that he declared that he preferred humility, corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual awareness. Apparently, until his death, he did not decide on this concept, remaining a humble questioner.

There is a misconception that Albert Einstein was not very strong at. In fact, at the age of 15, he had already mastered differential and integral calculus.

Einstein at 14

After receiving a check for $ 1,500 from the Rockefeller Foundation, the great physicist used it as a bookmark for a book. But alas, he lost this book.

In general, there were legends about his absent-mindedness. One day Einstein was riding a Berlin tram and was thinking about something with concentration. The conductor, who did not recognize him, had received the wrong amount for the ticket and corrected him. Indeed, having rummaged in his pocket, the great scientist discovered the missing coins and paid. "It's okay, grandfather," said the conductor, "you just need to learn arithmetic."

Curiously, Albert Einstein never wore socks. He did not give special explanations about this, but even at the most solemn events, his boots were shod on his bare feet.

It sounds incredible, but Einstein's brain was stolen. After his death in 1955, pathologist Thomas Harvey removed the scientist's brain and photographed it from different angles. Then, having cut the brain into many small pieces, for 40 years he sent them to various laboratories for research by the best neurologists in the world.

It is noteworthy that the scientist, during his lifetime, agreed to have his brain examined after death. But he did not give consent to the theft of Thomas Harvey!

In general, the will of the genius physicist was that after death he was cremated, which was done, but only, as you might have guessed, without a brain. During his lifetime, Einstein was an ardent opponent of any personality cult, so he did not want his grave to become a place of pilgrimage. His ashes were scattered in the wind.

An interesting fact is that Albert Einstein's interest in science was awakened in childhood. When he was 5 years old, he got sick with something. His father showed him a compass to calm him down. Little Albert was amazed that the arrow was constantly pointing in one direction, no matter how he turned this mysterious device. He decided that there was some kind of force causing the arrow to behave that way. By the way, after the scientist became famous all over the world, this story was often told.

Albert Einstein was very fond of the "Maxims" of the outstanding French thinker and politician François de La Rochefoucauld. He read them constantly.

In general, in the literature, the genius of physics preferred, and Bertold Brecht.

Einstein at the Patent Office (1905)

At the age of 17, Albert Einstein wanted to enter the Swiss Higher Technical School in Zurich. However, he only passed the math exam and failed the rest. For this reason, he had to go to vocational school. After a year, he still managed to pass the required exams.

When in 1914 the radicals took the rector and several professors hostage, Albert Einstein, along with Max Born, went to negotiations. They managed to find a common language with the rebels, and the situation was resolved peacefully. From this we can conclude that the scientist was not one of a timid dozen.

By the way, here is an extremely rare photo of the master. No comments - just admire the genius!

Albert Einstein at a lecture

Another interesting fact that not everyone knows. Einstein was first nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1910 for the theory of relativity. However, the committee found the evidence to be insufficient. Further, every year (!), Except for 1911 and 1915, various physicists recommended him for this prestigious award.

And only in November 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1921. A diplomatic way out of the awkward situation was found. Einstein was awarded the prize not for the theory of relativity, but for the theory of the photoelectric effect, although the text of the decision had a postscript: "... and for other works in the field of theoretical physics."

As a result, we see that one of the greatest physicists, it is believed, was awarded only from the tenth time. Why would it be such a stretch? Very fertile ground for conspiracy theorists.

Did you know that the face of Master Yoda from the movie " star Wars»Created from images of Einstein? The mimicry of a genius was used as a prototype.

Despite the fact that the scientist died back in 1955, he confidently takes 7th place in the list "". The annual revenue from the sale of Baby Einstein products is more than $ 10 million.

There is a widespread belief that Albert Einstein was a vegetarian. But this is not true. In principle, he supported this movement, but he himself began to follow a vegetarian diet about a year before his death.

Einstein's personal life

In 1903, Albert Einstein married his classmate Mileva Marich, who was 4 years older than him.

A year before that, they had an illegitimate daughter. However, due to material difficulties, the young father insisted on giving the child to the rich, but childless relatives of Mileva, who themselves wanted this. In general, it must be said that the physicist hid this dark story in every possible way. Therefore, there is no detailed information about this daughter. Some biographers believe she died as a child.

Albert Einstein and Mileva Maric (first wife)

When Albert Einstein's scientific career began, success and travel around the world affected his relationship with Mileva. They were on the verge of divorce, but then, nevertheless, agreed on one strange contract. Einstein suggested that his wife continue to live together on condition that she agrees to his demands:

1. Monitor the cleanliness of his clothes and room (especially his desk).
2. Bring breakfast, lunch and dinner to the room regularly.
3. Complete rejection of marital relations.
4. Stop talking when he asks.
5. Leave his room on demand.

Surprisingly, the wife agreed to these conditions humiliating for any woman, and they lived together for some time. Although then Mileva Marich still could not stand the constant betrayal of her husband and after 16 years of marriage they divorced.

Interestingly, two years before his first marriage, he wrote to his beloved:

“… I have lost my mind, I am dying, I am burning with love and desire. The pillow you sleep on is a hundred times happier than my heart! You come to me at night, but, unfortunately, only in a dream ... ".

But then everything went according to Dostoevsky: "From love to hate, one step." Feelings quickly cooled down and were a burden for both.

By the way, before the divorce, Einstein promised that if he received the Nobel Prize (which happened in 1922), he would give it all to Mileva. The divorce took place, but he did not give the money received from the Nobel Committee to his ex-wife, but only allowed her to use the interest from them.

In total, they had three children: two legitimate sons and one illegitimate daughter, about whom we have already spoken. Einstein's youngest son, Edward, had great abilities. But as a student, he suffered a severe nervous breakdown, as a result of which he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Having entered a psychiatric hospital at the age of 21, he spent most of his life there, dying at the age of 55. Albert Einstein himself could not come to terms with the idea that he had a mentally ill son. There are letters in which he complains that it would be better if he was not born at all.

Mileva Maric (first wife) and two sons of Einstein

Einstein had an extremely bad relationship with his eldest son, Hans. Moreover, until the death of the scientist. Biographers believe that this is directly related to the fact that he did not give his wife the Nobel Prize, as promised, but only interest. Hans is the only successor of the Einstein family, although his father bequeathed him an extremely small inheritance.

It is important to emphasize here that after the divorce, Mileva Maric suffered from depression for a long time and was treated by various psychoanalysts. Albert Einstein felt guilt towards her all his life.

Nevertheless, the great physicist was a real ladies' man. After a divorce from his first wife, he literally immediately married his cousin (through his mother) sister Elsa. During this marriage, he had many mistresses, which Elsa knew very well. Moreover, they spoke freely on this topic. Apparently Elsa had enough of the official status of the wife of a world-famous scientist.

Albert Einstein and Elsa (second wife)

This second wife of Albert Einstein was also divorced, had two daughters and, like the first wife of a physicist, was three years older than her learned husband. Despite the fact that they did not have children together, they lived together until Elsa's death in 1936.

An interesting fact is that initially Einstein thought about marrying his daughter Elsa, who was 18 years younger than him. However, she did not agree, so she had to marry her mother.

Einstein's life stories

The stories from the lives of great people are always extremely interesting. Although, to be objective, any person in this sense is of colossal interest. It's just that more close attention is always directed to the outstanding representatives of humanity. We are pleased to idealize the image of a genius, attributing to it supernatural actions, words and phrases.

Count to three

Once Albert Einstein was at a party. Knowing that the great scientist is fond of playing the violin, the owners asked him to play together with the composer Hans Eisler who was present here. After making preparations, they tried to play.

However, Einstein never got to the beat, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not even play the intro. Then Eisler got up from the piano and said:

“I don’t understand why the whole world considers a person who cannot count to three to be great!

Genius violinist

It is said that Albert Einstein once performed at a charity concert with the famous cellist Grigory Pyatigorsky. There was also a journalist in the hall who was supposed to write a report on the concert. Turning to one of the listeners and pointing at Einstein, he asked in a whisper:

- Do you know the name of this man with a mustache and a violin?

- What are you! - exclaimed the lady. - It's the great Einstein himself!

Embarrassed, the journalist thanked her and began to frantically write something in his notebook. The next day, an article appeared in the newspaper that an outstanding composer and incomparable violin virtuoso by the name of Einstein performed at the concert, who eclipsed Pyatigorsky himself with his skill.

This amused Einstein so much, who was already very fond of humor, that he cut out this note, and on occasion said to his acquaintances:

- Do you think I'm a scientist? This is a deep misconception! In fact, I am a famous violinist!

Great thoughts

There is another interesting case with a journalist who asked Einstein where he writes down his great thoughts. To this the scholar replied looking at the reporter's thick diary:

- Young man, truly great thoughts come so rarely that they are not at all difficult to remember!

Time and eternity

Once an American journalist who attacked a famous physicist asked him what is the difference between time and eternity. To this Albert Einstein replied:

“If I had time to explain this to you, it would take forever before you could understand it.

Two celebrities

In the first half of the 20th century, only two people were truly world famous: Einstein and Charlie Chaplin. After the release of the film "Gold Rush", the scientist wrote a telegram to the comedian with the following content:

“I am delighted with your film, which is understandable to the whole world. You will undoubtedly become a great person. "

To which Chaplin replied:

“I admire you even more! Your theory of relativity is incomprehensible to anyone in the world, and, nevertheless, you have become a great person. "

It does not matter

We have already written about the absent-mindedness of Albert Einstein. But here's another example from his life.

Once, walking down the street and thinking about the meaning of life and the global problems of mankind, he met his old acquaintance, whom he mechanically invited to dinner:

“Come tonight, we have Professor Stimson as our guest.

- But I am Stimson! - exclaimed the interlocutor.

“It doesn't matter, come anyway,” Einstein said absently.

Colleague

Once walking along the corridor of Princeton University, Albert Einstein met a young physicist who had no merit to science, except for uncontrollable conceit. Coming up with the famous scientist, the young man patted him familiarly on the shoulder and asked:

- How are you, colleague?

- How, - Einstein was surprised, - do you also suffer from rheumatism?

He really had a sense of humor!

Everything except money

One journalist asked Einstein's wife what she thought of her great husband.

- Oh, my husband is a real genius, - answered the wife, - he knows how to do absolutely everything except money!

Einstein Quotes

Do you think all that simple? Yes, it's simple. But not at all.

Anyone who wants to see the results of his labor immediately should go to shoemakers.

Theory is when everything is known, but nothing works. Practice is when everything works, but nobody knows why. We combine theory and practice: nothing works ... and no one knows why!

There are only two infinite things: the universe and stupidity. I'm not sure about the universe though.

Everyone knows that this is impossible. But here comes an ignoramus who does not know this - it is he who makes the discovery.

I don't know what kind of weapon the third world war will be fought with, but the fourth - with sticks and stones.

Only a fool needs order - genius dominates chaos.

There are only two ways to live life. The first is that miracles do not exist. The second - as if there were only miracles around.

Education is what remains after everything learned in school is forgotten.

We are all geniuses. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life, considering itself a fool.

Only those who make absurd attempts can achieve the impossible.

The greater my fame, the more dumb I become; and this is undoubtedly the general rule.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, while the imagination encompasses the whole world, stimulating progress, giving rise to evolution.

You will never solve a problem if you think in the same way as those who created it.

If the theory of relativity is confirmed, then the Germans will say that I am German, and the French - that I am a citizen of the world; but if my theory is refuted, the French will declare me German and the Germans a Jew.

Mathematics is the only perfect way to lead yourself by the nose.

By coincidence, God maintains anonymity.

The only thing that prevents me from studying is the education I received.

I have survived two wars, two wives and.

I never think about the future. It comes soon enough by itself.

Can lead you from point A to point B, and imagination - anywhere.

Never memorize what you can find in a book.

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