Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany. At a very young age, he excelled at math & physics, reaching mathematical levels years ahead of his peers. His passion for geometry and algebra convinced him that nature could be understood as a "mathematical structure". Einstein is best known for developing the theory of relativity which revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe, but he also made valuable contributions to the development of the theory of quantum mechanics. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 and honorary doctorate degrees in science, medicine and philosophy from many universities. Today, he is considered one of the greatest and most influential scientists of all time.