Albert Einstein is born to Hermann Einstein (a featherbed salesman) and his wife Pauline in Ulm, Germany.

1884: Around this time, Albert receives his first compass, beginning his quest to investigate the natural world.

1889: At age 10, Albert sets into a program of self education and reads as much about science as he can.

1894: The Einsteins move from Munich to Pavia, Italy and Albert, 15, stays on in Munich to finish the school year. Albert lasts only a term on his own and follows his family to Pavia.

1895: Albert attempts to skip high school by taking an entrance exam to the Swiss Polytechnic, a top technical university, but he fails the arts portion. His family sends him to the Swiss town of Aarau to finish high school.

1896: Albert graduates from high school at the age of 17 and enrolls at the ETH (the Federal Polytechnic) in Zurich.

1898: Albert falls in love with Mileva Maric, a Hungarian classmate at the ETH.

1900: Albert graduates from the ETH.

1901: Albert becomes a Swiss citizen. Unemployed, he searches for work. He and Mileva meet in northern Italy for a tryst. Mileva becomes pregnant. In the fall, Albert finds work in Schaffhausen, Switzerland as a tutor. Mileva, visibly pregnant, moves to Stein Am Rhein, three miles upriver. Mileva then moves to Hungary to give birth to their baby at her parent's home. Albert moves to Bern.

1902: In January, Mileva gives birth to their daughter, Lieserl, whom they eventually put up for adoption. She reportedly becomes ill and then all record of her disappears