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EINSTEIN,
ALBERT
(1879-1955)
This
German-Amer ican
scientist
was
born
to
Jewish
parents
in
Southern
Germany
on
March
14th,
1879.
A year
later
they moved
to Munich
where
his
father
and
his
uncle
ran
a
small
electro-chemical
factory.
Like Newton
he
showed
no
early
signs
of
genius.
He
developed
a
deep dislike
for
formal education.
His
real
education was
at
home where
his
father
introduced
him
to
algebraic
and geometry
problems
at
an
early
age..
When
he
was
14,
a
series
of
popular
books
on
Natural
Science
made
an
impression
on
him.
His
attention
was
drawn
to
theoretical
physics
and
when
he
was
he
sought
admission
to Federal
Polytechnic
in
Zurich.
He
gained
entrance
after passing
the
school's admission examinations
on
the
second
attempt, in
1896.
He
usually
failed
to
attend
his
lectures,
preferring
to
read
and
work
on
his
own.
He
read
the
classical
physics
and
above
all
studied
Maxwell's
electromagnetic
theory.
He graduated
in
1900.
Einstein
had
a
hard
time
finding
employment
initially
even
though
he
had
become
a
Swiss
citizen.
Finally
in
1902
he
was
appointed
a
post
at
a
patent
office. in Bern where
he
was
to
put
patents
in
clear
form.
No
doubt
it was
this
experience
which
gave
him
an
insight
to
the
physical.
Soon afterwards
he married Milena Maritsch,
a
fellow
student,
they had
two
sons.
In
1905
he
published
papers
of major
importance.
In
1909
he
obtained
a
full-time
academic
post
at
the
University
of
Zurich.
In
1911
he
accepted
the
chair
of Theoretical
Physics
in
the German University
at
Prague
but
returned
the
following
year
to
Zurich
as
a
professor
in
Federal Polytechnic.
At
the end
of
1913
he
accepted
a
research
post
at
the
Kaiser Wilhelm Society
in
Berlin
that
was
combined
with
a
chair
in
the
University
of
Berlin.
After
moving
to
Berlin
he
separated with
his
first
wife
and
in
19.19 married
his
cousin Elsa.
In
1921
Einstein
was
awarded
the
Nobel
Prize
in
Physics
for
his
early
work
in
Photo-electronic
effect.
In
the
1920 's
through
the
1930 's
he
accepted
many
invitations
to
lecture
abroad.
He
was
greatly
fortunate
to
be
in
California
when
Hitler
came
to
power
in
Germany
in January 1933,
For
as
the most
famous
living
Jew,
he
was
a prime
target
for
Nazi
hostilities.
He
was
appointed
to
a
permanent
post
at
the
newly
founded
Institute
for
Advanced
Study
at Princeton N.J.
and
in
1941
became
a
U.S.
citizen.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00789R001 700050002-7
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00789R001 700050002-7
In
his
latter
years
he
was
deeply concerned with
the
social
consequences
of
Science.
July
1939
he
signed
a
letter
to
President
Roosevelt
drawing
attention
to
the
danger
of
the
Nazi's
developing
a
Uranium
bomb.
After
1945
he
took
leading
part
in
attempts
to
seek
international
agreement
for
control
of
nuclear
energy.
Einstein
was
a prominent pacifist
from
1914
on.
He
was
also
a
supporter
of
Zionism
on
general
humanitar ianism
rather
than
on
nationalistic grounds.
On
the
death
of
Dr.
Chaine
Weizmann
in
1952
he
refused
an
invitation
from
David
Ben
Gurion
to
become
president
of
Israel.
He died
at Princeton
on April
18th,
1955.
He
was
noted
for
his
love
of
simplicity
and
truth.
He
had
a
robust
sense
of
humor
and
was
entirely
free
from
the
trappings
of
convention.
He
played
violin having
inherited
his mother's
love
for classical music.
His
only
outdoor
recreation
was
sailing.
Although
he
was
a
lone
worker
he
was
never
as
isolated
as Newton.
He
had
a great regard
for
his predecessors.
He
was
short,
of medium
build.
He
had
a
mediterranean
face
(italianish)
a
larger,
triangular
shaped
nose,
brown,
almond
shaped
eyes,
a
full,
heavy moustache
most
of
his
adult
life.
His
hair
was
dark
brown
or
black,
medium
straight with
white
fringing
the
front
as
he
aged.
He
wore
his
hair
brushed
straight
back
from
his
forehead
and
uncommonly
long
for
the
times
(over
his
ears)
.
He
had
a
heavily
lined
forehead
and
eyes.
Gentle
hands.
Large,
full
lobed
ears,
a triangular-shaped
face.
He
never
balded.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00789R001 700050002-7