What Einstein Didn't Know About This Day -- The Secret of the Genius Born on Pi Day

A Day Too Good to Let Pass

Have you ever written today's date as a number? 3.14 -- yes, the famous mathematical constant, pi. In the United States, March 14 is celebrated annually as "Pi Day," and as it happens, this date is also the birthday of one of the greatest scientists in human history: Albert Einstein. Born in Germany in 1879, let's unravel the dramatic story of how he became intertwined with American history.

Pi Day Was Actually Created in America?

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"Pi Day" becoming an official celebration is more recent than you might think. In 1988, physicist Larry Shaw at San Francisco's Exploratorium first proposed the idea, and in 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an official resolution designating it a national observance. MIT even created a tradition of sending out admissions decisions on this day. It's a uniquely American cultural tradition born from the humor of math-loving Americans.

A Genius Fleeing the Nazis Sets Foot on American Soil

Einstein's connection to America began under desperate circumstances. In 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, Einstein -- who was Jewish -- decided during a visit to America not to return to his homeland. He settled at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and continued his research in America for the next 22 years. He officially became a U.S. citizen in 1940.

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However, his life in America was not entirely smooth. In 1939, fearing that nuclear fission research could lead to Nazi Germany developing weapons, Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt. That letter became the seed of the Manhattan Project, which ultimately led to the development of the atomic bomb. Ironically, Einstein himself was excluded from the project due to security clearance issues. He later confessed that writing that letter was the greatest mistake of his life.

The Weight of One Person Who Changed the World

Einstein's legacy in America goes far beyond a single physics formula. He is also famous for standing against racial discrimination -- he once invited Black musician Marian Anderson to stay at his home. He was a man who held onto intellectual conscience even amid the storm of McCarthyism. His life itself was a message: "Science comes with moral responsibility."

This History on Screen

National Geographic's drama Genius (2017) vividly portrays Einstein's Princeton years and his journey into exile. Geoffrey Rush's performance is outstanding, though the show somewhat exaggerated his private life (his various romantic relationships) for dramatic appeal. Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014) visually brings Einstein's general theory of relativity to life -- the black hole scenes, created based on actual physics calculations, became a sensation.

Today, Over a Slice of Pie

On March 14, many American schools and cafes celebrate pi by sharing actual pie. A single number becomes a holiday, and a scientist's birthday happens to fall on the same day. Perhaps the universe played one last joke on Einstein. Today, try drawing a circle and think about the infinite stories contained within it.