- Albert Einstein was born in 1879 in Germany and showed early signs of being different from other children, speaking late and playing alone. He struggled in the rigid school system and left school at age 15. - Einstein then moved to Switzerland for a more liberal education and studied physics at the University of Zurich. He was gifted in mathematics and deeply interested in physics. - In 1939, Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt warning him about the potential development of an atomic bomb by the Germans and the destruction such a weapon could cause. This contributed to the U.S. launching their own secret atomic bomb program during World War II.