Albert Einstein's Milestones
Birth
Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire, to Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch.
Family moves to Munich
Family moved to Munich where father and uncle founded electrical equipment company Elektrotechnische Fabrik J. Einstein & Cie.
Compass fascination
Father gave him a compass while sick in bed, sparking lifelong fascination with electromagnetism and hidden forces behind things.
Started elementary school
Attended St. Peter's Catholic elementary school in Munich from age five.
Transferred to Gymnasium
Transferred to Luitpold Gymnasium for advanced primary and secondary education.
Self-taught mathematics
Began teaching himself algebra, calculus and Euclidean geometry at age twelve.
Pythagorean theorem proof
Discovered original proof of Pythagorean theorem before his thirteenth birthday.
Introduction to Kant
Family tutor Max Talmud introduced him to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason at age thirteen.
Mastered calculus
Mastered integral and differential calculus at age fourteen.
Family moves to Italy
Family moved to Milan then Pavia, Italy after father's electrical company failed in Munich.
Left Gymnasium
Left Luitpold Gymnasium and joined family in Pavia, finding the school's rote learning harmful to creativity.
Ether essay
Wrote essay 'On the Investigation of the State of the Ether in a Magnetic Field' as teenager in Italy.
Failed ETH entrance exam
Failed entrance exam for federal polytechnic school in Zurich but excelled in physics and mathematics.
Renounced Württemberg Citizenship
Renounced citizenship in the German Kingdom of Württemberg to avoid military service.
Graduated Aarau Cantonal School
Graduated from the Argovian cantonal school in Aarau, Switzerland, obtaining his Matura.
Enrolled at ETH Zurich
Enrolled in the mathematics and physics teaching diploma program at the ETH Zurich.
Graduated from ETH Zurich
Graduated from ETH Zurich with a teaching diploma in physics and mathematics.
Acquired Swiss Citizenship
Acquired Swiss citizenship, becoming a citizen of Zurich.
Olympia Academy
Formed discussion group 'Olympia Academy' with friends to discuss science and philosophy.
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.
Permanent patent position
Position at Patent Office made permanent after employers pleased with his work.
Married Mileva Marić
Married Mileva Marić in Bern, Switzerland.
Son Hans Albert born
First son Hans Albert Einstein born in Bern.
Annus Mirabilis papers
Published four groundbreaking papers: photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and E=mc².
PhD dissertation
Completed doctoral dissertation 'A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions' at University of Zurich.
PhD awarded
Formally awarded PhD from University of Zurich.
University of Bern lecturer
Became Privatdozent (lecturer) at University of Bern while continuing Patent Office work.
Professor at University of Zurich
Appointed associate professor of physics at University of Zurich, left Patent Office.
Son Eduard born
Second son Eduard Einstein born in Zurich.
Professor at Charles University
Became full professor at Charles University in Prague, Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Returned to ETH Zurich
Returned to ETH Zurich as professor of theoretical physics.
General relativity development
Developed general theory of relativity with help of mathematician Marcel Grossmann.
Moved to Berlin
Moved to Berlin as director of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics and professor at Humboldt University.
Separated from Mileva
Separated from wife Mileva, who returned to Zurich with their sons.
Einstein-de Haas experiment
Published work on the Einstein-de Haas effect, demonstrating that magnetism is a consequence of the angular momentum of electrons.
General relativity published
Published complete theory of general relativity, revolutionizing understanding of gravity, space, and time.
Divorced Mileva
Divorced Mileva Marić after years of separation.
Solar eclipse confirmation
Eddington's solar eclipse expedition confirmed general relativity predictions, making Einstein world famous.
Married Elsa Löwenthal
Married his cousin Elsa Löwenthal in Berlin.
First US visit
First visit to United States for fundraising tour for Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Nobel Prize Awarded
Awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics (announced November 1922) for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
Bose-Einstein Statistics
Collaborated with Satyendra Nath Bose on the quantum statistics of integer-spin particles (bosons), leading to Bose-Einstein statistics.
Unified field theory work
Spent final decades searching unsuccessfully for unified field theory to combine all fundamental forces.
Quantum mechanics debates
Engaged in famous debates with Niels Bohr about quantum mechanics, declaring 'God does not play dice'.
Caltech visiting professor
Became visiting professor at California Institute of Technology, spending winters in Pasadena.
Nazi rise forces emigration
Rise of Nazis made return to Germany impossible; German citizenship revoked, books burned.
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.
Refugee in Belgium
Lived as refugee in De Haan, Belgium before emigrating to United States.
Met Winston Churchill
Met Winston Churchill in England, asked for help rescuing Jewish scientists from Germany.
Princeton Institute appointment
Joined Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University as professor.
Settled in Princeton
Permanently settled in Princeton, New Jersey, becoming American citizen in 1940.
Wife Elsa died
Wife Elsa Einstein died of heart and kidney problems in Princeton.
Letter to Roosevelt
Wrote letter to President Roosevelt warning about German atomic bomb development, leading to Manhattan Project.
American citizenship
Became American citizen while retaining Swiss citizenship.
Aortic aneurysm surgery
Underwent surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm performed by Rudolph Nissen.
Declined Israel presidency
Declined offer to become second President of Israel after Chaim Weizmann's death.
Russell-Einstein Manifesto Signed
Signed the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, calling for global disarmament and peaceful conflict resolution; it was released posthumously in July 1955.
Death
Died at Princeton Hospital from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm at age 76, refusing surgery.
Brain preserved
Pathologist Thomas Harvey removed and preserved Einstein's brain without family permission for future study.
Archives to Hebrew University
Bequeathed personal archives, library, and intellectual assets to Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Cremation and ashes scattered
Remains cremated in Trenton, New Jersey; ashes scattered at undisclosed location.