Albert Einstein (German pronunciation (help·info)) (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist. He is widely regarded as the most important scientist of the 20th century and one of the greatest physicists of all time. He played a leading role in formulating the special and general theories of relativity; moreover, he made significant contributions to quantum theory and statistical mechanics. While best known for the Theory of Relativity (and specifically mass-energy equivalence, E=mc²), he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 (his "wonderful year" or "miraculous year") and "for his services to Theoretical Physics".

Following the May-1919 British solar-eclipse expeditions, whose later analysis confirmed that light rays from distant stars were deflected by the Sun's gravitation as predicted by the Field Equation of general relativity, in November 1919 Albert Einstein became world-famous, an unusual achievement for a scientist. The London Times ran the headline on November 7, 1919: "Revolution in science – New theory of the Universe – Newtonian ideas overthrown" . In popular culture, the name "Einstein&a mp;quot; has become synonymous with great intelligence and genius