Albert Einstein

Einstein (born March 14th, 1879, in Ulm/Germany – died April 18th, 1955, in Princeton/USA) was a German theoretical physicist of Jewish descent, who is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. He proposed the theory of relativity and also made major contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and cosmology. He was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 (his "Miracle Year") and "for his services to Theoretical Physics." After his general theory of relativity was formulated in November 1915, Einstein became world-famous, an unusual achievement for a scientist. In his later years, his fame exceeded that of any other scientist in history. In popular culture, his name has become synonymous with great intelligence and even genius.