Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist, which means that his work was based on ideas and theories. He predicted things that other scientists found incredible but which mostly turned out to be true. He never stopped having ideas and in later life continued trying to unify the basic concepts of physics.
John Dalton (1766-1844)
Dalton was a Cumbrian scientist whose fascination with weather led to the development of his atomic theory. This theory set out the principles underlying the composition of all materials, and created a solid basis for chemical investigations of the future. It also put an end to alchemy, the quest for a scientific procedure that could turn base metals into gold.
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
A Scottish mathematician and physicist, his 'Maxwell's Equations' on electromagnetism and light extended the work done by Michael Faraday. They created a new understanding of the behaviour and relationship between electric and magnetic fields and the way they interact with matter.
1879 Albert Einstein is born on 14 March in Ulm, Germany.
1881 The family moves to Munich.
1884 His father gives him a compass to play with, and he is intrigued by the way the needle moves.
1888 Albert starts school.
1891 He is often in trouble with his teachers, even though he already shows a talent for maths and physics.
1894 The family moves to Milan and Albert drops out of high school to go with them.
1895 Einstein fails the entrance exam to the Institute of Technology, Zurich. However, he shows such promise that he is allowed to attend some lectures despite being two years below the entrance age.
1897 He starts studying physics in Zurich.
1901 Einstein qualifies to teach physics and maths and becomes a Swiss citizen. Unable to find a teaching job, he works in the Patent Office, producing research in his spare time.
1903 Albert marries Mileva Maric.
1904 Their son Hans Albert is born.
1905 Einstein obtains his doctorate and publishes groundbreaking papers, including one on his special theory of relativity.
1909 He leaves the Patent Office and becomes Professor in Physics at Zurich University.
1910 His second son Eduard is born.
1914 Einstein returns to Germany. His marriage begins to break down. The First World War breaks out.
1916 He publishes a paper on the general theory of relativity.
1918 The First World War ends.
1919 Albert and Mileva are divorced. Einstein marries his cousin Elsa Lowenthal.
1921 He wins a Nobel Prize in Physics.
1933 Adolf Hitler comes to power. Einstein renounces German citizenship and remains in the USA.
1934 Einstein becomes Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, New Jersey.
1936 Else Lowenthal dies.
1939 The Second World War breaks out. Einstein writes to President Roosevelt, asking him to initiate an American nuclear research programme.
1940 He becomes a US citizen.
1945 Americans drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Second World War ends. Einstein retires and becomes a leading figure in the World Government Movement, urging control of atomic weapons.
1952 He refuses the offer of the presidency of Israel.
1955 Einstein dies in America on 18 April.
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