Albert Einstein: 8 Fun Facts About a Curious Genius

Albert Einstein is one of the most famous scientists in history. His ideas changed how we understand time, space and light. But he was also a real person, with funny habits and big dreams. In this post you will read 8 fun Albert Einstein facts, told in simple English. Each fact also has a useful word or phrase for you to learn.

8 fun Albert Einstein facts

1. He was a late talker

Albert Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in Ulm, Germany. As a little boy, he started talking later than most children, and his parents were worried. But Albert was thinking all the time. He grew up to be one of the greatest thinkers in the world.

“Don’t worry if you are slow at first. Keep going!”

2. A little compass made him ask “why?”

When Albert was about five years old, he was ill in bed. His father gave him a small compass. The needle always pointed north, but nothing seemed to touch it! Albert was amazed. He wanted to know why it moved. Many years later, he said this moment stayed with him all his life.

“He was amazed by the little needle.”

You can hear this story in our free A1 video lesson Albert Einstein: A Little Compass Made Him Ask Why.

3. He loved his violin, called “Lina”

Einstein’s mother, Pauline, was a good piano player. When Albert was about six, she made him take violin lessons. At first he didn’t enjoy them. Then, as a teenager, he discovered the music of Mozart, and he fell in love with it. He played the violin for most of his life, and he gave his violins a sweet nickname: “Lina”. (A nickname is a friendly, short name.)

“He played the violin for fun when he needed to think.”

4. He did NOT fail maths

You may have heard that Einstein failed maths at school. This is a myth (a story that many people believe, but it isn’t true). In fact, he was very good at maths. Einstein himself said that before he was 15, he had already mastered calculus, a difficult kind of maths. (To master something means to learn it very well.)

“That story is a myth. It isn’t true.”

5. He worked in an office, not a university

After university, Einstein couldn’t find a job as a teacher. So in 1902 he started work at the patent office in Bern, Switzerland. His job was to check other people’s inventions. In his free time, he thought about physics. In 1905, he wrote four important papers, including the one with the famous idea E = mc². People now call 1905 his “miracle year”.

“He did great work in his free time.”

6. His Nobel Prize was not for relativity

Einstein is famous for his theory of relativity. But he didn’t win the Nobel Prize for it! He won the Nobel Prize in Physics for 1921 (he received it in 1922) for his work on the photoelectric effect. This is about how light can knock tiny pieces, called electrons, out of metal. Today, this idea helps us understand things like solar panels.

“He won the Nobel Prize for his work on light.”

7. He said no to being a president

In 1952, the president of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, died. Israel then offered Einstein the job of president. Einstein was honoured, but he said no. He wrote that he didn’t have the right experience to work with people in an official job. He wanted to keep working on science.

“He turned down the offer politely.” (To turn down means to say no.)

8. His most famous photo shows his tongue!

On his 72nd birthday, on 14 March 1951, Einstein was in a car after a party. Photographers asked him to smile again and again. He was tired of smiling, so he stuck out his tongue! A photographer called Arthur Sasse took the picture. It became one of the most famous photos of the 20th century, and Einstein loved it too.

“He stuck out his tongue for the camera.”

What can English learners learn from Albert Einstein?

These Albert Einstein facts teach us something important: keep asking questions. Einstein started talking late, but he never stopped being curious (always wanting to know and learn new things). When you learn English, curious questions help you too. Why do we say “on Monday” but “in March”? What does this new word mean? Every question is a small step forward.

Einstein died in Princeton, USA, on 18 April 1955, aged 76. His ideas are still part of our lives today.

Quick vocabulary review

• amazed: very surprised, in a happy way
• nickname: a friendly, short name
• myth: a story many people believe, but it isn’t true
• master: learn something very well
• turn down: say no to an offer
• curious: always wanting to know and learn new things

Can you make a sentence about Einstein with two of these words? Say it out loud! If you love science stories, read 10 Surprising Fun Facts About Famous Scientists next.

Learn English with real stories

At Bright Lives English, you learn English through true stories of inspiring people like Albert Einstein. Every short video teaches you five useful words, with clear speaking and a full transcript. Choose your level and start today with our free video lessons. Which famous person would you like to meet next?