Hero #041: Albert Einstein … (04/23/16)
Born in 1879, Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. He developed the general theory of relativity (one of the two major pillars of modern physics), and was pivotal in establishing quantum theory (the other pillar) as well. While best known in popular culture for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2 (which has been dubbed “the world’s most famous equation”), Einstein was also a public proponent of peace and a champion of civil rights.
Regarding the former, he signed the Russell–Einstein Manifesto (which, co-signed by British philosopher Bertrand Russell, highlighted the dangers of nuclear weapons) and he publicly called for an end to all war, stating that “War cannot be humanized. It can only be eliminated”, along with the more infamous: “How despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.”
Regarding his support of civil rights, Einstein actively advocated racial co-appreciation. He joined the NAACP in Princeton, and openly noted that racism was “America’s worst disease”. In 1937, when Einstein learned famed black opera singer, Marian Anderson was turned away from a Princeton inn because of her race, he invited her to stay at his home, which she did. Two years later, when she was barred from singing at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., she instead gave a free concert at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people, after which she again stayed with Einstein in his home …
On the 17th of April in 1955, Einstein experienced internal bleeding caused by the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Once at Princeton Hospital, he refused surgery, saying: “It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share, it is time to go. I will do so elegantly.” He died early the next morning at the age of 76.
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing … The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life … Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the entirety of nature.” ~ Albert Einstein
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