Albert Einstein was 23 years old and educated in mathematics and physics when he gained employment at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern, Switzerland, in 1902. Einstein’s new job proved undemanding, and he spent his ample free time conducting scientific studies. Without the benefit of a scientific library or theory-minded colleagues, Einstein proceeded to overturn two centuries of scientific thought.

In 1905, the heretofore unknown Einstein presented some of the most influential theories in the history of physical science. Among these was the special theory of relativity, which posited that space and time, previously thought to be absolutes, were relative to the observer. Einstein introduced his famous equation E=mc², the most important product of relativistic physics, in a study also published that year. The equation theorized that an object contained an amount of energy (“E”) equal to the mass of the object (“m”) multiplied by the square of the speed of light (“c”).

By recognizing that mass could be transformed into an enormous amount of energy, Einstein paved the way for the development of nuclear energy. In 1939, the German-born Einstein (then teaching at Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study) informed President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the potential for building an atomic bomb, cautioning that Germany’s Nazi government already may have one under development. The United States produced an atomic bomb in 1945.

PostScript: Einstein, who urged that only a system of world government could maintain peace in an atomic age, was offered the presidency of Israel in 1952. He chose to remain in Princeton, where he died three years later.