Einstein's Life ...through his writings

The Early Years | The Swiss Years | The Berlin Years | The Princeton Years

"A happy man is too satisfied with the present to think too much about the future." 1896 written at age seventeen "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." 1952 To Carl Seelig, his biographer   "Strenuous Intellectual work and study of God’s nature are the angels that will lead me through all the troubles of this life with consolation, strength, and uncompromising rigor." 1897 to Pauline Winteler "No matter what happens, we’ll have the most wonderful life in the world. Pleasant work and being together--what’s more, we now answer to no one, can stand on our own feet, and can enjoy our youth to the utmost. Who could have any better?" 1900 To future wife Mileva Maric     "I have completely solved the problem. My solution is to analyze the concept of time." 1905 to Michele Besso   "I now have someone about whom I can think with unrestrained pleasure and for whom I can live... We’ll have each other, something we have missed so terribly, and will give each other the gift of stability and an optimistic view of the world." 1913 To future second wife Elsa Löwenthal    "The theory is beautiful beyond comparison. However, only one colleague has been able to understand it." 1915 to Heinrich Zangger   "Starting from the reality of Jewish nationality, I believe that every Jew has duties towards his fellow Jews..." 1921 in Judische Rundschau       "What you call 'Max's materialism' is simply the causal way of interpreting things. This way of interpretation always merely answers the question: 'Why?' but never the question 'What for?'" 1919 To Hedwig Born, wife of Max Born     "The professor never wears socks. Even when he was invited to the White House by Mr. Roosevelt he didn’t wear socks." Recollection of Helen Dukas "Here in Pasadena it is like paradise always sunshine and fresh air, gardens with palm and pepper trees, and friendly people who smile at one and ask for autographs." 1932 To the Lebach family "Is there any way of delivering mankind from the menace of war? It is common knowledge that with the advance of modern science, this issue has come to mean a matter of life and death for civilization as we know it." 1932 To Sigmund Freud, published iwith Freud’s Reply, as Why War? by the League of Nations

-- The Early Years -- 1879 Born March 14 at 11:30 AM in Ulm, Germany 1880 Einstein family moved to Munich 1885-1888 Pupil at Catholic elementary school in Munich Private lessons in Judaism at home 1888-94 Pupil at Luitpold-Gymnasium, Munich Religious instruction at school (until 1892) Parents move to Milan 1894 Six months later, Einstein leaves Gymnasium without completing his schooling and joins his family in Pavia, Italy -- The Swiss Years -- 1895-1896 Pupil at cantonal school in Aarau, Switzerland 1896 Renounces his German citizenship 1896-1900 Student at the Polytechnic (later the Federal Institute of Techonology), Zurich 1901 Acquires Swiss citizenship Completes his first scientific paper 1901-1902 Temporary teaching position at school in Schaffhausen, Switzerland 1902 Daughter Lieserl born to Mileva Maric in Novi Sad, Hungary Appointed as technical expert third class at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern 1903 Marriage to Mileva Maric in Bern Founds "Akademie Olympia" with Conrad Habicht and Maurice Solovine Daughter Lieserl probably put up for adoption 1904 Son Hans Albert born in Bern 1905 The annus mirabilis : completes papers on light quanta, Brownian motion, and special theory of relativity Receives Ph.D. from Zurich University 1906 Promoted to technical expert second class at the Swiss Patent Office 1907 Discovers the principle of equivalence 1908 Appointed lecturer at Bern University 1909 Resigns from Patent Office 1910 Second son Eduard born in Bern 1911 Predicts bending of light 1911-1912 Professor of theoretical physics at German University of Prague 1912-14 Professor of theoretical physics at the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich -- The Berlin Years -- 1914 Appointed Professor at University of Berlin (without teaching obligations) and Member of Prussian Academy of Sciences Separates from his wife, Mileva Maric--she returns to Zurich with the two sons Signs anti-war "Manifesto to Europeans" 1915 Joins pacifist "New Fatherland League" Completes logical structure of the general theory of relativity 1916 Publication of the general theory of relativity 1917 Writes first paper on cosmology Appointed Director of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Phyics in Berlin 1917-1920 Suffers from a liver ailment, a stomach ulcer, jaundice and general weakness--his cousin Elsa Einstein Loewenthal takes care of him 1918 Supports the new Weimar Republic in Germany Divorces Mileva Maric Bending of light observed during solar eclipse in West Africa and Brazil First discussions on Zionism with Kurt Blumenfeld Marries his cousin Elsa 1919 Announcement at joint meeting of Royal Society and Royal Astronomical Society that Einstein's theories have been confirmed by eclipse observations Sensational headlines in The Times and The New York Times Einstein becomes a world figure 1920 Mass meeting against he general theory of relativity in Berlin Appointed special visiting professor at Leiden University 1921 First visit to the U.S. with Chaim Weizmann: fund-raising tour for The Hebrew University Lectures at Princeton University on theory of relativity 1922 Completes first paper on unified field theory Visit to Paris contributes to normalization of French-German relations Joins Committee on Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations Lecture tours in Japan and China Awarded Nobel Prize for Physics for 1921 1923 Visit to Palestine: holds inaugural scientific lecture at future site of The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, named first honorary citizen of Tel Aviv Visit to Spain Lecture in acknowledgment of Nobel Prize in Göteborg, Sweden Edits first collection of scientific papers of The Hebrew University 1924 The "Einstein-Institute" in Potsdam, Germany, housed in the "Einstein-Tower" starts its activities 1925 Trip to South America: Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay Signs manifesto against obligatory military service Joins Board of Governors and Academic Council of The Hebrew University 1927 Begins intense debate with Niels Bohr on the foundations of quantum mechanics 1928 Suffers temporary physical collapse--enlargement of the heart is diagnosed 1930 Intense activity on behalf of pacifism 1930-1932 Three trips to U.S.: stays mainly at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, during winter semesters Supports conservation of the Weimar Republic 1932 Public correspondence with Sigmund Freud on the nature of war Appointed Professor at The Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Plans to divide his time between Berlin and Princeton Leaves Germany for the last time -- The Princeton Years -- 1933 Declares that he will not return to Germany Resigns from Prussian Academy of Sciences Spends spring and summer in Belgium and Oxford Emigrates to U.S. in September Why War? published 1934 Collection of essays The World As I See It published 1935 The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox is published 1936 Elsa Einstein dies 1938 Publication of The Evolution of Physics 1939 Signs famous letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt recommending U.S. research on nuclear weapons 1940 Acquires U.S. Citizenship 1943 Works as a consultant with the Research and Development Division of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance, section Ammunition and Explosives 1944 Handwritten copy of his 1905 paper on special relativity auctioned for six million dollars in Kansas City, as a contribution to the American war effort 1945 Shattered by the extent of the Holocaust of European Jewry Shocked by the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1946 Becomes chairman of the Emergency Committee for Atomic Scientists Expresses public support for the formation of a world government 1947 Intense activity on behalf of disarmament and world government 1948 Supports creation of the State of Israel First wife, Mileva Maric, dies in Zurich Intact aneurysm of the abdominal aorta disclosed 1949 Publication of "Autobiographical Notes" 1950 Signs Last Will and Testament: Otto Nathan and Helen Dukas named co-trustees The Hebrew University named as the ultimate repository of his personal papers Collection of essays, Out of My Later Years, published 1952 Offered presidency of the State of Israel 1953 Public support for individuals under investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee 1955 Co-signs the Russell-Einstein Manifesto warning of the nuclear threat Rupture of the aortic aneurysm Dies April 18 at 1:15 AM in Princeton Hospital at the age of 76 Body cremated and ashes scattered at an undisclosed place

File created: 8/01/2008

Questions and comments to: einstein@press.princeton.edu
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