September 27, 1905
The year 1905 was a big one for a young physicist named Albert Einstein. On September 27, 1905, Einstein published a paper positing that energy and mass were actually the same thing in different states, a principle he explained with the equation E=MC2. This simple mathematical expression completely upended physics, becoming the most well-known equation in human history. Simply put, E=MC2 states that energy is equal to mass times the speed of light squared. The equation formed the bedrock of the nuclear age, explained the inner workings of stars, and supported the biggest theory of them all: the Big Bang.
The famous equation came at the end of a year of discovery later known as Einstein’s “annus mirabilis,” or “miraculous year.” In March of 1905, the 26-year-old physicist published a paper theorizing that light was a particle. A second paper, that May, proved the physical existence of atoms, and a third paper a month later introduced a mind-bending idea known as special relativity. Some 20 years later, Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity turned him into a worldwide celebrity. But E=MC2 changed the perception of our existence, and proved that our universe was still full of mysteries.
The year 1905 was a big one for a young physicist named Albert Einstein. On September 27, 1905, Einstein published a paper positing that energy and mass were actually the same thing in different states, a principle he explained with the equation E=MC2. This simple mathematical expression completely upended physics, becoming the most well-known equation in human history. Simply put, E=MC2 states that energy is equal to mass times the speed of light squared. The equation formed the bedrock of the nuclear age, explained the inner workings of stars, and supported the biggest theory of them all: the Big Bang.
The famous equation came at the end of a year of discovery later known as Einstein’s “annus mirabilis,” or “miraculous year.” In March of 1905, the 26-year-old physicist published a paper theorizing that light was a particle. A second paper, that May, proved the physical existence of atoms, and a third paper a month later introduced a mind-bending idea known as special relativity. Some 20 years later, Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity turned him into a worldwide celebrity. But E=MC2 changed the perception of our existence, and proved that our universe was still full of mysteries.