Albert Einstein's profile picture

Albert Einstein's Milestones

Albert Einstein (1879–1955), physicist, developed the theory of relativity and reshaped modern science with his groundbreaking ideas.
1879

Birth

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire, to Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch.

Family March 14, 1879
1880

Family moves to Munich

Family moved to Munich where father and uncle founded electrical equipment company Elektrotechnische Fabrik J. Einstein & Cie.

Location January 1, 1880
1884

Compass fascination

Father gave him a compass while sick in bed, sparking lifelong fascination with electromagnetism and hidden forces behind things.

Other January 1, 1884

Started elementary school

Attended St. Peter's Catholic elementary school in Munich from age five.

Education September 1, 1884 - August 31, 1888
1888

Transferred to Gymnasium

Transferred to Luitpold Gymnasium for advanced primary and secondary education.

Education September 1, 1888
1891

Self-taught mathematics

Began teaching himself algebra, calculus and Euclidean geometry at age twelve.

Achievement January 1, 1891
1892

Pythagorean theorem proof

Discovered original proof of Pythagorean theorem before his thirteenth birthday.

Achievement January 1, 1892

Introduction to Kant

Family tutor Max Talmud introduced him to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason at age thirteen.

Education January 1, 1892
1893

Mastered calculus

Mastered integral and differential calculus at age fourteen.

Achievement January 1, 1893
1894

Family moves to Italy

Family moved to Milan then Pavia, Italy after father's electrical company failed in Munich.

Location January 1, 1894

Left Gymnasium

Left Luitpold Gymnasium and joined family in Pavia, finding the school's rote learning harmful to creativity.

Education December 31, 1894
1895

Ether essay

Wrote essay 'On the Investigation of the State of the Ether in a Magnetic Field' as teenager in Italy.

Achievement January 1, 1895

Failed ETH entrance exam

Failed entrance exam for federal polytechnic school in Zurich but excelled in physics and mathematics.

Education January 1, 1895
1896

Renounced Württemberg Citizenship

Renounced citizenship in the German Kingdom of Württemberg to avoid military service.

Other January 31, 1896

Graduated Aarau Cantonal School

Graduated from the Argovian cantonal school in Aarau, Switzerland, obtaining his Matura.

Education September 30, 1896

Enrolled at ETH Zurich

Enrolled in the mathematics and physics teaching diploma program at the ETH Zurich.

Education October 1, 1896
1900

Graduated from ETH Zurich

Graduated from ETH Zurich with a teaching diploma in physics and mathematics.

Education July 28, 1900
1901

Acquired Swiss Citizenship

Acquired Swiss citizenship, becoming a citizen of Zurich.

Other February 21, 1901
1902

Olympia Academy

Formed discussion group 'Olympia Academy' with friends to discuss science and philosophy.

Other January 1, 1902

Daughter Lieserl Born

Daughter Lieserl Einstein born to Albert and Mileva Marić in Novi Sad around January/February; her exact birth date and fate are uncertain.

Family January 27, 1902
1903

Permanent patent position

Position at Patent Office made permanent after employers pleased with his work.

Career January 1, 1903

Married Mileva Marić

Married Mileva Marić in Bern, Switzerland.

Relationship January 6, 1903
1904

Son Hans Albert born

First son Hans Albert Einstein born in Bern.

Family May 14, 1904
1905

Annus Mirabilis papers

Published four groundbreaking papers: photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and E=mc².

Achievement January 1, 1905

PhD dissertation

Completed doctoral dissertation 'A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions' at University of Zurich.

Achievement April 30, 1905
1906

PhD awarded

Formally awarded PhD from University of Zurich.

Achievement January 15, 1906
1908

University of Bern lecturer

Became Privatdozent (lecturer) at University of Bern while continuing Patent Office work.

Career January 1, 1908
1909

Professor at University of Zurich

Appointed associate professor of physics at University of Zurich, left Patent Office.

Career January 1, 1909
1910

Son Eduard born

Second son Eduard Einstein born in Zurich.

Family July 28, 1910
1911

Professor at Charles University

Became full professor at Charles University in Prague, Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Career January 1, 1911
1912

Returned to ETH Zurich

Returned to ETH Zurich as professor of theoretical physics.

Career January 1, 1912

General relativity development

Developed general theory of relativity with help of mathematician Marcel Grossmann.

Achievement January 1, 1912 - December 31, 1915
1914

Moved to Berlin

Moved to Berlin as director of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics and professor at Humboldt University.

Location January 1, 1914

Separated from Mileva

Separated from wife Mileva, who returned to Zurich with their sons.

Relationship January 1, 1914
1915

Einstein-de Haas experiment

Published work on the Einstein-de Haas effect, demonstrating that magnetism is a consequence of the angular momentum of electrons.

Achievement February 10, 1915

General relativity published

Published complete theory of general relativity, revolutionizing understanding of gravity, space, and time.

Achievement November 25, 1915
1919

Divorced Mileva

Divorced Mileva Marić after years of separation.

Relationship February 14, 1919

Solar eclipse confirmation

Eddington's solar eclipse expedition confirmed general relativity predictions, making Einstein world famous.

Achievement May 29, 1919

Married Elsa Löwenthal

Married his cousin Elsa Löwenthal in Berlin.

Relationship June 2, 1919
1921

First US visit

First visit to United States for fundraising tour for Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Location April 1, 1921
1922

Nobel Prize Awarded

Awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics (announced November 1922) for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.

Achievement November 9, 1922
1924

Bose-Einstein Statistics

Collaborated with Satyendra Nath Bose on the quantum statistics of integer-spin particles (bosons), leading to Bose-Einstein statistics.

Achievement July 1, 1924
1925

Unified field theory work

Spent final decades searching unsuccessfully for unified field theory to combine all fundamental forces.

Achievement January 1, 1925 - April 18, 1955
1927

Quantum mechanics debates

Engaged in famous debates with Niels Bohr about quantum mechanics, declaring 'God does not play dice'.

Achievement January 1, 1927
1931

Caltech visiting professor

Became visiting professor at California Institute of Technology, spending winters in Pasadena.

Career January 1, 1931
1933

Nazi rise forces emigration

Rise of Nazis made return to Germany impossible; German citizenship revoked, books burned.

Other January 1, 1933

Renounced German Citizenship (Second Time)

Formally renounced his German citizenship for the second time, at the German consulate in Antwerp, Belgium, due to the Nazi regime.

Other March 28, 1933

Refugee in Belgium

Lived as refugee in De Haan, Belgium before emigrating to United States.

Location April 1, 1933 - September 30, 1933

Met Winston Churchill

Met Winston Churchill in England, asked for help rescuing Jewish scientists from Germany.

Other July 1, 1933

Princeton Institute appointment

Joined Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University as professor.

Career October 1, 1933
1935

Settled in Princeton

Permanently settled in Princeton, New Jersey, becoming American citizen in 1940.

Location January 1, 1935
1936

Wife Elsa died

Wife Elsa Einstein died of heart and kidney problems in Princeton.

Family December 20, 1936
1939

Letter to Roosevelt

Wrote letter to President Roosevelt warning about German atomic bomb development, leading to Manhattan Project.

Other August 2, 1939
1940

American citizenship

Became American citizen while retaining Swiss citizenship.

Achievement October 1, 1940
1948

Aortic aneurysm surgery

Underwent surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm performed by Rudolph Nissen.

Other January 1, 1948
1952

Declined Israel presidency

Declined offer to become second President of Israel after Chaim Weizmann's death.

Other January 1, 1952
1955

Russell-Einstein Manifesto Signed

Signed the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, calling for global disarmament and peaceful conflict resolution; it was released posthumously in July 1955.

Other April 11, 1955

Death

Died at Princeton Hospital from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm at age 76, refusing surgery.

Family April 18, 1955

Brain preserved

Pathologist Thomas Harvey removed and preserved Einstein's brain without family permission for future study.

Other April 18, 1955

Archives to Hebrew University

Bequeathed personal archives, library, and intellectual assets to Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Other April 18, 1955

Cremation and ashes scattered

Remains cremated in Trenton, New Jersey; ashes scattered at undisclosed location.

Family April 21, 1955