Einstein, Albert (1879-1955), was one of the greatest scientists of all time. He is best known for his theory of relativity, which he first advanced when he was only 26. He also made many other contributions to science. Einstein's relativity theory revolutionized scientific thought with new conceptions of time, space, mass, motion, and gravitation. He treated matter and energy as exchangeable, not distinct. In so doing, he laid the basis for controlling the release of energy from the atom.

In 1933, while Einstein was visiting England and the United States, the Nazi government of Germany took his property and deprived him of his positions and his citizenship. Even before this misfortune occurred, however, Einstein had been invited to become a member of the staff of the newly created Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J. Einstein accepted this position for life, and settled down in Princeton. In 1940, Einstein became an American citizen.

Although he lived a quiet personal life, Einstein maintained a vital interest in human affairs. He was fond of classical music, and played the violin. He had a deep compassion for people who were politically or economically oppressed. He supported Zionism, and was offered the presidency of the state of Israel in 1952. But he declined this honor, insisting that he was not fitted for such a position.

Until the rise of Nazism in the 1930's, Einstein was an ardent pacifist. After the war, he became an equally determined supporter of world government. He insisted that peace among nations could be maintained in the atomic age only by bringing all people together under a system of world law.

Excerpts from the "Einstein, Albert" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999