How did the legendary figures who inspired the world with their talent, intellect, and monumental contributions, such as Einstein, Newton, and Edison, spend their childhood?
The authors of great inventions and significant contributions to human history, figures like Newton, Einstein, and Napoleon, are celebrated worldwide as true heroes. However, behind their extraordinary talents lie either ordinary or unusual childhoods that merit our understanding.
Isaac Newton: The Pioneer of Mechanics, Optics, and Classical Physics
A brilliant scholar of humanity, Newton is credited with formulating the theory of Universal Gravitation. Alongside Einstein, he is one of the two eminent thinkers who significantly influenced the development of modern physics.
Isaac Newton at 46 years old
Newton was born in 1642 (the same year that the scientist Galileo passed away) as a premature baby; his name was given after his father, who had died three months prior. At birth, Isaac was so frail and tiny that he could fit into a 1.5-liter jar.
Born into a farming family, his mother encouraged him to abandon his studies to help with the family farm. Nevertheless, as he was inept at manual labor, in 1661, Newton’s family allowed him to continue his studies at Cambridge’s Law Faculty on a scholarship, provided he served students who paid tuition.
Document about the moment Newton discovered the theory of Universal Gravitation preserved at the Royal Society.
Newton revered the Bible even more than scientific studies. He correctly predicted that the Jewish people would return to the land of Israel and calculated the exact date of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as April 3, 33 AD. He also predicted that the Apocalypse would occur in 2060.
In his youth, Isaac Newton conducted extensive research and inventions; however, he preferred to keep these discoveries to himself and never published them. It was only when a dispute arose over the research concerning calculus (one of the most contentious debates in the history of mathematics) that Newton’s name frequently surfaced in global scientific forums as a remarkable phenomenon of humanity.
Einstein: The Author of the Famous “Theory of Relativity”
Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955), often referred to as the “smartest man in the world,” was born into a Jewish family on the banks of the Danube River in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany.
“The man of the century, the most brilliant intellect in history” had a childhood that was entirely different from the image of the “genius” we recognize today.
Einstein with his sister during childhood
Einstein was a late talker, and his parents took him for an examination. Before speaking, Albert would mumble each sentence several times, leading the household staff to call him “the fool.” Typically, young Einstein thought more in images than in words. He would imagine actions and phenomena, posing questions and seeking answers to his curiosities.
As a rebellious student, Einstein constantly asked bizarre questions and sought answers. He often argued with his teachers and made nonsensical statements, which resulted in him being expelled in his final year of high school (1895).
Einstein at 14 with many peculiar questions
Subsequently, Albert moved with his parents to Milan for preparatory studies. When he tried to enter a preparatory school in Zurich (Switzerland), he failed due to poor grades and not having a high school diploma. In 1896, Einstein had to continue his secondary education at the school in Aarau under challenging circumstances: no money, no family, no friends, and no citizenship (he renounced his German citizenship).
Albert Einstein in 1921
By 1905, Einstein published his first research on the fundamental principles of the theory of relativity in the Annalen der Physik. From there, Albert Einstein’s name began to gain recognition in the scientific community, astonishing those who knew him.
Napoleon: The Greatest Military Leader in History
Napoleon was the First Consul of France, Emperor of France, and King of Italy; however, he struggled with the French language. Why?
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 on the island of Corsica, which France had purchased from Italy just a year earlier. Therefore, he spoke Italian fluently but struggled with French, requiring daily practice.
Painting depicting the authority of Napoleon
At school, this left-handed boy was often teased by his peers for his slow and inaccurate French. However, Napoleon excelled in subjects such as Mathematics and History.
At the age of 10, he was sent to a military school, where he used his scholarship money to help his family. Notably, Napoleon hardly ever slept, dedicating his free time to reading books and magazines.
Painting of Napoleon in the office of Jacques-Louis David
With his outstanding talent, Napoleon was recommended to study at the Royal Military School in Paris. At the age of 16, he attained the rank of Captain, a feat unprecedented in human history.
Napoleon built a vast empire across Europe; his name dominated the era, and he truly was a remarkable genius of the world.
Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park
Edison was the youngest of seven siblings. His father, Samuel Edison, was Dutch, and his mother, Nancy, was a Scottish elementary school teacher. He is the holder of over 1,907 patents, an unprecedented record in the scientific community. He also read more than 10,000 books, managing to read three books a day. In memory of him, let’s explore some amusing stories about this “foolish” genius…
Edison once lived in a straw hut, lying face down on a pile of straw, his hair disheveled, with several chicken eggs beneath him. He lay still, looking very focused. When his mother, Mrs. Nancy, investigated, she discovered that Edison was curious to see if he could hatch the eggs like a hen had.
Edison and the electric light bulb that became famous worldwide
By the age of 7, Edison was enrolled in the only school in the area, which had just one classroom with 40 students of varying ages. He was seated closest to the teacher, a position typically reserved for the weakest students. During lessons, instead of focusing on answering the teacher’s questions, Edison would often pose many challenging questions, resulting in him frequently being at the bottom of the class and ridiculed by his peers.
Edison’s teacher once remarked, “This student is crazy; he doesn’t deserve to stay in school for long.” From that point on, Edison stopped attending school and opted for self-study at home with his mother.
Even the principal once wrote the following remark: “… T. Edison, his son, is a dull, lazy, and troublesome student. It would be best to send him to herd pigs, as we believe that even if he studies more, he won’t amount to much in the future…“
Young Edison
When Edison saw his father’s and uncle’s balloon experiment, he diligently created several types of chemicals and had his father’s employee, Max, try them. After taking the concoction Edison provided, Max nearly fainted. However, Edison firmly believed: “His inability to fly is his failure, not mine!”
Life magazine named Edison one of the ‘100 most important people in the last 1,000 years’ with the note: His bulb illuminated the world.
At the age of 12, Edison worked as a newspaper and candy salesman on trains. Each day, while selling newspapers, Edison also experimented with scientific research. Once, during an experiment, he accidentally set the train car on fire. As a result, the ticket collector slapped him and kicked him off the train, banning him from the tracks. This incident gradually impaired Edison’s hearing for the rest of his life.
Throughout his dedicated life filled with remarkable inventions, the most famous of which is the electric light bulb, Edison stands as one of the most quintessential scientists of America and the world.
