Albert Einstein's first major recognition in the scientific community came in 1905 when he published four groundbreaking scientific papers on different subjects. Although he was not widely known to the general public at the time, these publications brought him to the attention of the leading physicists of the era. It was particularly his groundbreaking development of the theory of relativity that eventually made him internationally recognized. While he gained some popular recognition following the confirmation of his general theory of relativity through the 1919 observation of a solar eclipse, his widespread fame among the general public largely solidified after it was widely reported throughout newspapers in November 1919. From that point onward, Einstein often drew crowds eager to catch a glimpse of him whenever he made public appearances.