Albert Einstein

Einstein revolutionized physics with special relativity in 1905 and general relativity in 1915, replacing Newton's absolute space and time with a dynamic spacetime fabric warped by mass and energy. His famous equation E=mc2 showed that mass and energy are interchangeable, laying the theoretical groundwork for nuclear power and atomic weapons. He also won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect, a cornerstone of quantum theory.