He was the greatest genius of his time, a man whose contributions to science and mathematics have been matched by just a handful of others throughout history.
Even so, Albert Einstein is nowadays mostly associated with just one simple formula: E = mc2. Many call it the most famous formula in the world, and even people who have no idea what mass-energy equivalence is still know that one formula.
At least when it comes to Mensa quizzes, the oldest IQ tests in the world. Wahi recently scored a perfect score of 162. It's believed that both Stephen Hawking andAlbert Einstein only had an IQ of 160. “It's overwhelming to be compared with the likes of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein," she said.
Based on the special theory of relativity, he proposed a theory of gravitation, and in 1916 he published his paper on the general theory of relativity. In 1921, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect."
1. HE RENOUNCED his German citizenship when he was 16.
From an early age, Albert Einstein loathed nationalism of any kind and considered it preferable to be a “citizen of the world.” When he was 16, he renounced his German citizenship and was officially state-less until he became a Swiss citizen in 1901.
2. He married the only female student in his physics class.
Mileva Marić was the only female student in Einstein’s section at Zürich Polytechnic. She was passionate about math and science, and was an aspiring physicist in her own right, but she gave up those ambitions when she married Einstein and became the mother of his children. (Watch: “When Albert Met Mileva”)
3. He had a 1,427-page FBI file.
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In 1933, the FBI began keeping a dossier on Albert Einstein, shortly before his third trip to the U.S. This file would grow into 1,427 pages of documents focused on Einstein’s lifelong association with pacifist and socialist organizations. J. Edgar Hoover even recommended that Einstein be kept out of America by the Alien Exclusion Act, but he was overruled by the U.S. State Department.
4. He married his first cousin.
Elsa, the second Mrs. Einstein, was the daughter of Albert’s mother’s sister, making them first cousins. They were also second cousins, as Elsa’s father and Albert’s father were cousins. Her maiden name was Einstein.
According to a recently discovered manuscript, Einstein proposed an alternate Big-Bang theory in 1931. The document was stored in the Albert Einstein Archives in Jerusalem and overlooked for decades. While it had been available for view online, the manuscript was mistakenly described as the first draft for a different paper. The document shows Einstein’s initial excitement over the Big-Bang theory, a “rough draft” according to James Peebles of Princeton University. However, as Einstein never pursued the concept, academics believe that he was merely exploring an intriguing idea.
Einstein died in his sleep at Princeton Hospital on April 18, 1955. He suffered a ruptured aneurysm and refused surgical treatment. He explained, “I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share, it is time to go. I will do it elegantly.” Before dying, Einstein said a few words to the nurse, but he spoke in German and the nurse did not understand.
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