Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a theoretical physicist, best known for developing the theory of
relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (the other being quantum mechanics). His
equation E = mc^2, which describes the equivalence of mass and energy, is one of the most famous
formulas in the world. Born in Germany, Einstein eventually moved to the United States in 1933 to
escape the rise of Nazi Germany. He worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New
Jersey, until his death. Einstein made significant contributions to the understanding of the
photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, and the special and general theories of relativity, earning the
Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.