He Was Expelled from School

Although his beginnings were humble, Albert Einstein succeeded in revolutionizing 20th century science. The ordinary son of an ordinary father, he could not speak until the age of three, and showed no signs of having even average abilities up to the age of nine. He was even once expelled from school because his teacher feared that his poor academic performance might have a bad influence on other pupils. On completion of his school studies, he failed to qualify for admission to the Zurich Technical College. It was only on his second attempt, after due preparation, that he met with success. Up to the age of twenty, Einstein showed no exceptional potential. In fact, ‘Albert was a lazy dog,’ was how a teacher once described him. Later, by dint of sheer hard work, he rose to such heights as no other modern scientist has been able to surpass. His biographer writes, "We may take heart that it is not necessary to be a good student to become Einstein." Einstein's first scientific book was published when he was 26 years of age, after which his fame spread far and wide. He led a simple life, ate simple food, but often worked late into the night. At one stage, he was offered the presidentship of Israel, but he declined. He believed, in fact, that politics was the cancer of humanity. He left Hitler's Germany with a price on his head—a reward of twenty thousand marks offered by Hitler's government (at that time a great deal of money)—but Einstein's standing was such in the scientific world that no one dared come forward to claim it. Countless instances have been recorded in history which show that to achieve greatness, it is not necessary to be born great. A man can rise to greatness from the most obscure of beginnings—provided he is willing to strive for it. It is worth remembering that those who have to put up a struggle in the face of severe