Albert Einstein secured his place in history as not only being a very famous physicist but also for his Jewish background during the rise of anti-Semitism. Einstein made many scientific contributions but perhaps his most famous was his theory of relatively dealing with the speed of light. Einstein quantified this theory with the famous equation of E = MC2 (McClellan and Dorn, 398). Einstein's new take shaped the previous standard of physics set by Newton. Before Einstein moved to the United States he was extremely political in his views of anti-fascism and his outspokenness of the Nazi party prior to WWII. Einstein's political stances were outright dangerous given his Jewish background in a time where anti-Semitism was on the rise. While Einstein was very political for his entire life his greatest and worst contribution came from his scientific side
Einstein in 1939 made a very selfless decision to warn President Roosevelt about German advances in nuclear warfare. This fateful decision would persuade Roosevelt to start what became known as the Manhattan project and result in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Simon). While Einstein took no part in the project he openly opposed the use of atomic weapons. Einstein unintentional push for advancement in atomic warfare forever changed the modern world. At the end of WWII the Cold War would begin as the nuclear arms race began between Russia and the United States. Einstein's scientific contributions for better or worse shaped the modern world and sealed his fate in the history books.