Albert Einstein

PRINCETON,NJ- Albert Einstein, 76, world renowned mathematician and physicist, died on April 18, 1955, of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

He was born March 14, 1879 to the late Harmann Einstein and Pauline Koch. While his struggles early in his schooling are a subject of debate, he still got high marks. He went on to graduate from Zurich Polytechnic, receiving a bachelor's degree from Swiss Federal Polytechnic in 1900 and a PhD from the University of Zurich.

He married Milelva Maric on January 6, 1903. Together they raised Eduard Einstein, Hans Albert Einstein, Lieserl Einstein. After marital strife, Albert left Milelva and went on to marry Elsa Einstein on June 2, 1919. Elsa was Albert's first cousin on both his mother’s, and father’s side.

Albert Einstein is most well known for his work on the theory of relativity. His equation E = mc2, which says that energy and mass are the same thing, but in different forms is widely regarded as one of the most significant breakthroughs in math and science. In 1921 he received the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the photoelectric effect, which he is also applauded for in math and science.

In 1933, with fascism in Germany gaining hold of the political climate of his home country, Albert renounced his German citizenship and emigrated to the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 1940, having fled Nazi Germany to assist the Americans in their fight in WWII. He urged the U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to develop the world’s first atomic bomb. He was an integral part of the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, NM, which succeeded in the development of such a weapon.

Although his work was critical in ending the war, he understood the disastrous consequences of atomic weapons, and joined fellow Manhattan Project scientist Robert Oppenheimer in opposing development of the hydrogen bomb. He called for international controls on nuclear technology and championed anti-war activities and fought for civil rights of black Americans.

At his request, a cremation took place, and there were no funeral services. His ashes were spread at an undisclosed location.