10 Little Known Albert Einstein Facts

10 Little Known Albert Einstein Facts

His name is synonymous with genius and he's a recognizable celebrity even now, many years after his death. The contributions he made to science were far reaching and turned this introspective scientist into a legend. So much is written about Einstein, both as a man and as a scientist that you could spend weeks reading about him and still not run out of fresh reading material. I want to share with you some of the harder to find Albert Einstein facts and trivia. The stuff you might not see in your average Albert Einstein biography. Here are some Albert Einstein facts for thought:

1. No doubt, Einstein was a genius, but he didn't speak fluently until he reached his ninth birthday. This led his parents to be concerned that he suffered from mental retardation. Just goes to show you how much parents know!


2. A surprising Albert Einstein fact is that he disliked science fiction. You would have thought science fiction would have inspired him to form new associations and ponder new possibilities, but in reality, he avoided any association with it and encouraged others to do the same.


3. He couldn't hang onto an umbrella to save his life. According to one of his wives, Einstein was constantly losing things, particularly umbrellas. His forgetfulness in regard to trivial things is well documented.


4. He was a simple man who was able to relate to minds less advanced than his own. Here is his explanation of relativity: "You sit on a hot stove for two minutes, and it feels like two hours; you sit with a pretty girl for two hours, and it seems like two minutes. That is relativity." Clarifies it for me, how about you?


5. He wasn't destined to win a spelling bee. According to his admission, he was never able to write in English because of his problems with spelling English words. To his credit, he was bilingual and could speak both English and German. I guess we can forgive him for not being able to spell.


6. He may have had a problem with monogamy, perceiving all marriages as "dangerous". He dalliances with women other than his wives are well documented.


7. He played the violin, but not well. He may have created beautiful science, but a musician, he was not. He still enjoyed relaxing with his trusty violin and cranking out something akin to music once in a while.


8. He couldn't remember dates or phone numbers. He was notorious for forgetting birthdays of those close to him. Heck, he probably even forgot his own! He couldn't even remember his own phone number. According to him, he didn't feel compelled to memorize his phone number when he didn't plan on calling himself. Not a bad rationale! Gave him more brain space for important scientific thoughts.


9. That Einstein’s first wife Mileva Maric was herself a scientist, Einstein’s school fellow in Switzerlant, in fact. The strange fate of Mileva Maric in fact puts a very dubious light on Einstein’s character, although much of it – from both sides – is debatable and has been considered only lately. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mileva_Maric


10. Claiming he did not deserve the salary he was offered, Albert Einstein turned down an 
invitation to join the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1927.

We can see Einstein wasn't perfect even in the intellectual department, but the contributions he made certainly override any shortcoming on the part of this great man. If you'd like more fascinating Albert Einstein facts, read a biography about his life. You might be surprised at what you learn!