Einstein did not speak until the age of seven, a delay that some scholars interpret as an early sign of Asperger’s syndrome or another form of developmental asynchrony. Scholars such as Wolff and Goodman have highlighted his quiet, introspective nature and his extraordinary visual thinking. Whether the late onset of speech was a sign of a neurological difference or simply a manifestation of a prodigious inner life remains a matter of debate among child‑development experts.
Einstein excelled in physics and mathematics from a young age, studying calculus at twelve and mastering Greek and Latin. He only failed the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s entrance exam because the grading system was reversed that year, turning A’s into F’s. The exam also required background in French, chemistry, and biology—subjects he had not yet studied. His exceptional scores in mathematics and physics secured him admission on the condition that he complete his secondary education afterward.
While studying at the Zurich Polytechnic, Einstein met Mileva Marić, the first woman to graduate from the institution. The couple had a daughter, Lieserl, born in 1902. Historical records provide little detail about her life; some scholars believe she died of scarlet fever, while others suggest she was given up for adoption.
Einstein’s personal life was marked by tension. He married Mileva, but their marriage deteriorated quickly, and he maintained affairs with his cousin Elsa, who later became his second wife. In 1919 Einstein and Mileva divorced; he later became estranged from his two sons, one of whom was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
In 1905—known as his annus mirabilis—Einstein published four papers that revolutionized physics while he worked as a junior examiner at the Swiss patent office. The papers were:
In 1914 Einstein, along with three colleagues, signed an anti‑war declaration against German militarism. Later, during the post‑war unrest in Berlin, he and Max Born intervened to defuse a hostage situation involving radical students and university professors, preventing a potential escalation.
Einstein was awarded the 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the photoelectric effect. Although his theories of special and general relativity reshaped modern physics, the Nobel committee did not recognize these works at that time.
Concerned about the dangers of early electric refrigerators, Einstein collaborated with Hungarian physicist Léo Szilárd to design an absorption refrigerator that used ammonia, butane, and water. Patented in 1930, the device had no moving parts and proved especially useful for remote locations, though it was eventually eclipsed by more efficient compressor models.
In 1952 David Ben‑Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, offered Einstein the presidency of the young nation. Einstein declined, citing his advanced age and his desire to remain focused on science rather than politics.
After Einstein’s death, pathologist Dr. Thomas Harvey removed 2.7 pounds of his brain and his eyes from the Princeton morgue without permission. Harvey stored the brain in jars, moved it between locations for decades, and eventually returned most of it to Princeton. The episode remains one of the most controversial moments in the post‑mortem study of a genius.
