Albert Einstein

78

Albert Einstein : biography

In twenties Albert Einstein spent much time travelling through Europe giving lectures in different cities not only for student and teacher but also for ordinary public. In 1921 he visited the United States where Congress carried a special welcoming resolution for him. He also had been to Middle East, India, China and Japan. The scientist was nominated for Nobel Prize repeatedly but the committee of the prize couldn’t dare award his revolutional theories and there was found a tricky but diplomatic way. Albert Einstein became the prize-winner in 1921 not for his relative theory but for undoubtedly proved theory of photoelectric effect.

Einstein’s authority in scientific world was great and that was the reason people tried to involve him in political actions. But the scientist’s position was firm – he approved only piece, collaboration of governments and social fairness.

In 1929 Albert Einstein was going to enter his fifties. There were plans about great celebration about the date but Einstein avoided taking part in celebration. He left for his villa near Potsdam where he spent time growing roses with enthusiasm. That was the place there he would receive his close friends – Emanuel Lasker, Rabindranath Tagore, Charlie Chaplin.

When the economic crisis came Weimar Republic was close to extinction. Political instability was growing, radical nationalist sentiment was getting more and more popular and persecution for Jewish began. Albert Einstein got many threats and offences, they even spread leaflets promising cash award for Albert Einstein’s head at the rate of about 50000 marks. As soon as Hitler came to power all Einstein’s discoveries were announced to be scientific misrepresentations or achievements of Aryan physicist. They started ethnic purges in german universities.

Einstein left Germany in 1933 and never came back. He and his family got visitors visas and left for USA. In the United States Einstein renounced his German citizenship and membership in scientific academies of Bavaria and Prussia. That was his protest against Nazism. Albert Einstein became a professor in Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. Einstein’s fame was growing and growing and in 1934 he received invitation by President Roosevelt to visit White House.

Two years later his wife Elsa died. Einstein lived in his house with stepdaughter Margo, sister Maria and cat called Tiger. If it were not for close people Einstein’s loneliness could become fatal…

Americans got amazed that during his life in USA Einstein never purchased a car or a TV. That fact and Einstein’s absent-mindedness created an image of a strange or even a crazy person.

In summer of 1939 physicist Leo Szilart, an emigrant from Hungary collected signatures to address the President of USA. The letter told that Nazi Germany might be able to make new disastrous weapon – atomic bomb. There was also a signature by Albert Einstein. Having consulted with specialists President Roosevelt gave order to start an american project to discover possibilities of making atomic weapon. Einstein, German in origin, was not involved in that project on secrecy grounds and didn’t take direct participation in works. However he would expresse regret at his signing that letter more than once as the creation of atomic bomb would be all thanks to Manhattan project. They used it against two defenseless Japanese cities – Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Later Einstein railed against those nuclear weapon tests at atoll Bikini and regretted his participation in activating the project.

It was Einstein who founded Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs uniting scientists all over the world. The conferences did much to save peace on Earth but didn’t manage to stop nuclear arms race – the positions of politicians and scientists were too much different.

Albert Einstein worked at his theories in physics till 1955 and carried world-wide correspondence with many scientists. But unfortunately his health suddenly undermined. He felt that his last day was coming and made his will. In the begging of spring in 1955 he went to hospital but medical drugs and doctors’ efforts were powerless to prolong his life. As personnel of the hospital and stepdaughter Margo said Albert Einstein was calm till the very end, he thought about his death as an ordinary occurrence.

Albert Einstein died on April the 18th in 1955. The cause of death was rupture of aorta aneurism. The funeral was modest as he had entrusted. Only twelve people were present at ceremony – his friends and close people. His body was cremated and ashes scattered by wind.