Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born 140 years ago in Germany. His mother, Paulina, was a musician and a pianist. She taught Albert to play violin at a young age, which he continued to do for the rest of his life. His father, Herman Einstein, an electrochemical factory owner, first showed his son a compass at the age of five. The compass intrigued little Einstein and sparked his interest in science and in exploring the laws of nature, which eventually led to a career in scientific research.

About his own work, Einstein was quoted as saying: "My scientific work is motivated by an irresistible longing to understand the secrets of nature and by no other feeling. My love for justice and striving to contribute towards the improvement of human conditions are quite independent from my scientific interests."

In 1921, at the age of 42, Einstein won a Nobel prize for his discovery of the photoelectric effect.For many years beforehand, he had developed his theories of special and general relativity. However, due to these being theoretical rather than experimental, in addition to antisemitic attitudes prevalent at the time, Einstein never got the recognition he deserved for those achievements. This caused major backlash in the scientific community, as it was clear that Albert Einstein was one of the greatest physicists in the world. In an attempt to nevertheless give Einstein that which he deserved, one member of the Nobel committee – a supporter of Einstein and his discoveries – suggested awarding him the Nobel prize for the photoelectric effect.

Einstein, who was aware of the unfolding of these events, never truly saw his Nobel prize as a significant achievement. Indeed, when he was invited to speak in front of the King of Sweden, he specifically chose to talk about his Theory of Relativity.

When the state of Israel was just four years old, David Ben-Gurion offered Einstein the role of the second President of Israel. Ben Gurion saw Einstein as fit for the role because as president, he would represent the State of Israel, and Ben Gurion though Einstein to be "the greatest Jewish personality to be found on this earth". Einstein politely declined, stating he preferred to dedicate his time to science, and that he did not posses the necessary experience for the role.

(Quotes taken from Alice Calaprice's "The Quotable Einstein")