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One of my earliest recollections of the name of Albert Einstein comes from what might seem the unlikeliest of sources. Comic, Sid Caesar, used to do an impression of a "mad scientist" on the classic "Show of Shows" television series of so long ago, which entertained audiences for many years. I read in his autobiography, "Where Have I Been?" that one of the most special moments in his life came when he was contacted by a representative of Albert Einstein and informed that the great genius wanted to meet him in person. Caesar was thrilled, and a date was arranged, but unfortunately, Einstein died before the meeting.

Today, the name "Einstein" is considered a synonym for genius. (Consider Baby Einstein"). Also, the late Ernie Kovacs nicknamed his oldest daughter, "Einstein," because of her superior intelligence. Who was this extraordinary man behind the famous theory of relativity and what were some of his personal challenges and triumphs?

He was born on March 14, 1879, in the city of Ulm in Wurttemberg, Germany, about ten kilometers east of Stuttgart. His parents were Jewish but not religious, and as a child Albert attended a Catholic elementary school. His father, Hermann, was a salesman who later in life managed an electrochemical works. His mother, Pauline Koch Einstein, insisted on violin lessons, and although Albert disliked and eventually discontinued them, the love of violin music was ingrained in his soul for the rest of his life.
At the tender age of five, Albert experienced an epiphany. His father showed him a pocket compass and he realized that something in "empty" space acted upon the needle. Even as a child, he built models and mechanical devices and indicated great mathematical ability at a very young age. Hs love and interest in science was encouraged and fostered by friends and family. In 1889, a medical student named Max Talmud (Talmey) introduced Einstein to "Kant's Critique of Pure Reason." Two of his uncles also directed his intellectual interests by recommending and providing books on science, mathematics and philosophy.
In 1891, at the age of twelve, Albert began to formally study mathematics at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Here, he clashed with the powers that be, as even then he firmly believed that the creative spirit of learning was stifled by the strict rules of memorization that were an integral part of the teaching process of the day. He taught himself Euclidian Geometry from a school booklet and when finished, went on to tackle calculus (also

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