Albert Einstein 1879–1955
Scientist
Albert Einstein was one of history's most brilliant scientists. He was born and grew up in Germany. He was a curious and thoughtful child. When Einstein was about five, he saw a magnetic compass for the first time. He was fascinated by the invisible force of magnetism that caused the needle to point north. The desire to understand such forces never left him.
When Einstein became a scientist, he chose physics as his field. Physics is the study of matter and energy. Matter is “stuff,” which means anything that takes up space. Einstein developed new ideas about matter, energy, light, and gravity. He published his ideas in scientific papers. In one paper, he showed how light works. Einstein's ideas were revolutionary. They completely changed the way scientists understand the physical world. In 1921, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. Einstein left Germany in 1933 when Adolf Hitler came to power there. He settled in the United States and became a United States citizen in 1940.
Critical Thinking
Why was Einstein awarded a Nobel Prize in physics?