March 14, 2018 marks the 139th birth anniversary of renowned physicist Albert Einstein. Born in Germany on March 14, 1879, the genius began teaching himself calculus at age 14. With a doctorate from the University of Zurich, Einstein wrote papers on electromagnetic energy, relativity, and statistical mechanics. Dr. Albert Einstein is most celebrated for being a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and developing the theory of relativity. On the special occasion of his 139th birth anniversary, here are some interesting facts about the genius scientist you probably didn’t know.
A great musician
Many of his close friends recall that Einstein could easily have made a career in music. He was an incredibly talented violinist which can be surmised by the fact that his mother was a piano player. So, it may have run in his genes. He had even named his violin “Lina”.
Got Nobel Prize but not for his theory of Relativity
As we all happen to know that Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity was the most popular, almost legendary, work ever published. It’s really surprising that he was awarded the accolade neither for The Special Theory of Relativity nor for Equivalence of Matter and Energy. It was his logical and brilliant explanations and observations on the Photoelectric effect that won him the prestigious award. Some people also considered The Relativity Theory too radical and thus, unacceptable and it remained insignificant till Edward Hubble proved it.
Invention of refrigerator
We know of his relative physics theories but he is also the co-creator of the refrigerator. He collaborated with other scientists to work on such projects. It was also called the Einstein refrigerator which worked on compressed gases.
Hated publicity
We all know what Einstein looked like, right? Those eyes, that tongue… Well, that was the case back in his time, too – he was frequently accosted in the street by passers-by who fancied a quick tutorial. Tired of providing scientific sound-bites, he told the New Yorker that he used to respond in apologetic broken English, ‘Pardon me, sorry! Always I am mistaken for Professor Einstein!’ – and make a speedy getaway.
Passionate about civil rights
Einstein was an early proponent of civil rights movement. He drew comparisons between Jewish people in Germany and Black people in America, and stated “in the last analysis, everyone is a human being.”
