10 Surprising Facts About Albert Einstein ( Exclusive Photos)

We all know the basics about Albert Einstein. He was one of the greatest
scientists of all time. He came up with the theory of relativity. He was
born in Germany but moved to America, where he died in 1955. And yes,
he rocked a wild hairdo.
But over the years many other facts about the famous physicist have
come to light -- including some that are pretty surprising. Consider these
10:

Fact #1: Einstein wasn't a beautiful baby. When Einstein was born on
March 14, 1879, the back of his head was reportedly so huge that his
family worried something was wrong with him. But within the first few
weeks, the shape of his head became more normal-looking.


Fact #2: Einstein was slow to talk. Some say he didn't start speaking
until age four. Stanford economist Dr. Thomas Sowell even coined the
controversial term "Einstein Syndrome" to describe exceptionally bright
people whose speech is delayed.

Fact #3: Einstein did NOT flunk math. It's long been rumored that
Einstein was a bad student -- and these rumors have been fueled in part
by headlines like one in a "Ripley's Believe it or Not!" newspaper:
"Greatest living mathematician failed in mathematics." In fact, Einstein
was not a poor student. He was conversant in college physics before he
was 11 years old, was a ''brilliant'' violin player, and received high marks
in Latin and Greek. Before age 15 he had already mastered calculus.

Fact #4: Einstein had an illegitimate child. Before Einstein and his first
wife, Mileva Marić, married, she secretly gave birth to their daughter at
her parents' home in Serbia, Time magazine reported. But the fate of the
baby, who was named Lieserl, is unclear. She essentially disappeared
from historical records shortly after birth. There is no evidence that
Einstein ever saw his daughter.


Fact #5: Einstein set weird rules for his wife. Einstein demanded a lot
from Mileva. In fact, he gave her a set of rules to follow. Included on the
list was that she had to serve three meals day, to stop talking if he asked
her to, and to expect no intimacy from him.


Fact #6: Einstein got along really well with his cousin. So well, in fact,
that she -- Elsa Einstein -- became his wife in 1919. The two reportedly
were romantically involved during Einstein's first marriage, according to
Bio.com

Fact #7: Einstein was popular with the ladies. In letters that he wrote
to Elsa, Einstein readily acknowledged many extramarital affairs. He
wrote that his girlfriends showered him with "unwanted" affection, The
Telegraph reported.


Fact #8: Wearing socks wasn't Einstein's thing. In another letter to
Elsa, Einstein wrote that he "got away without wearing socks" at the
University of Oxford. The world-renowned genius eventually became
known for his unkempt appearance -- though more attention was focused
on his hair than on his feet.


Fact #9: Einstein was a member of the NAACP. Specifically, the chapter
in Princeton, N.J., where he lived and worked. But even before Einstein
moved permanently to America in 1933, he corresponded with civil
rights activist and scholar W.E.B. Dubois, a founder of the NAACP. And
during a 1946 speech at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Einstein
called racism “a disease," .


Fact #10: Einstein may have hastened his death. Einstein died on April
18, 1955 after suffering a burst blood vessel. According to the website of
the American Museum of Natural History, doctors suggested surgery, but
Einstein declined, saying, "It is tasteless to prolong life artificially."