Happy Birthday, Mr. Einstein!
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former” – A. Einstein
On this day in 1879, Albert Einstein was born. Born to a Jewish electrical engineer in Ulm, Germany, Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity, as we know, drastically altered, and continue to alter, man’s view of the universe. We feel sure there is more to learn from this amazing gentleman!
Being a household name, we don’t feel that Albert Einstein needs much introduction but here are a few fun facts (taken from Albert Einstein Site Online):
1. Named the Person of the Century by Time magazine.
2. Already a high school drop out, he failed his 1st college entrance exam, and had to go to a secondary school in Switzerland. Think of Albert at community college.
3. Divorced his first wife Mileva Maric:: Reason = Adultery. (His wife received the Noble Prize money.) The adulteress, Elsa, whom he later married, was his first cousin!
4. In less than one year, 1905, Einstein wrote the Annus Mirabilis Papers (from Annus Mirabils, Latin for ‘year of wonders’, but commonly referred to as ‘miracle year’). These are some of the most important scientific papers in history, which ultimately provided the foundation for all of modern physics.
5. Had an illegitimate daughter – Lieserl.
6. Einstein was born with an abnormally big head. Combined with his late start in speaking, doctors were concerned he might be retarded.
7. Hitler considered him public enemy number one.
8. Refusing the Presidency of Israel, he said, “I know a little of science, but nothing about men.”
9. After his death, Einstein’s brain was removed during the autopsy, against his wishes. It later took a bizarre cross-country tour in the trunk of a car and remains an object of morbid fascination.
10. Wildly cheered attending the Hollywood premier of the movie City Lights, Charlie Chaplin told him, “They cheer me because they all understand me, and they cheer you because no one understands you.”
11. Two of Einstein’s least favorite things: Haircuts and socks.
12. Two of Einstein’s favorite things: The violin and sailing.
14. Einstein named his violin ‘Lina’.
15. Einstein actually won his 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for the photoelectric effect. His theory of relativity was not only considered too radical for the powers that be, almost no one in the world truly understood it at the time.
It makes us want to think about what theories are floating around in thought today that we should be paying more attention to!
Grateful for “greats” such as Mr. Einstein. Huge gratitude for his “pressing on” amidst a lot of unbelief!
His theories certainly add to the abundance of being! He said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”!
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