Einstein Publishes General Theory of Relativity
November 25, 1915 · 20th Century
On November 25, 1915, Albert Einstein submitted his paper "The Field Equations of Gravitation" to the Prussian Academy of Science in Berlin, completing his general theory of relativity. The theory describes gravity as a geometric property of spacetime, where massive objects create curvature that affects the paths of other objects and light. Einstein's equations explained Mercury's perihelion precession and predicted light bending near the Sun, which confirmation during the 1919 solar eclipse brought Einstein international recognition.
Key Figures
Albert EinsteinDavid Hilbert
Locations
Berlin
Topics
physicsgravityrelativityspacetime
Connected Events — 3 Connections
Special relativity's success with uniform motion led Einstein to extend the theory to accelerated motion and gravity, culminating in general relativity which reinterpreted gravity as spacetime curvature Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity
Eddington's 1919 observation of starlight bending during a solar eclipse provided the first empirical confirmation of Einstein's 1915 prediction that gravity curves spacetime Eddington's Eclipse Expedition Confirms Relativity
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (1915) predicted that accelerating massive bodies emit gravitational waves — distortions in spacetime that propagate at the speed of light. The 2023 pulsar timing array detection measured nanohertz gravitational waves at frequencies billions of times lower than the kilohertz waves directly detected by LIGO in 2015, confirming Einstein's prediction in a new frequency regime, attributed by current models to inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries throughout cosmic history. Astronomers Detect Gravitational Waves from Black Hole Mergers
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