It's the photo that comes up the most when you search Einstein on Google. The picture shows him with his hair slicked back, mischievous eyes and most importantly... his tongue sticking out. Albert Einstien appears to have an amused expression. But appearances are deceptive: Einstein was not amused at all. This is the reason behind the mysterious photo.
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Einstein at the party
It all started when the world-famous physicist was trying to depart from his party in 1951. As he was walking toward his vehicle, he was surrounded by paparazzi who wanted to click pictures of him. As per Life Persona, they were roaring his name and were constantly asking him to pose for a photo. Einstein was getting increasingly annoyed by the minute and was in no mood to deal with them.
As he was sandwiched in the back seat of the car between his friend, Frank Aydelotte, and his wife, Marie, a photographer yelled: ‘Hey, Professor, smile for a birthday photo, please’. To which he responded by sticking his tongue out and making a silly face. The photographer took the picture which would then go on to become one of the most iconic photos of the scientist.
Einstein loved the photo
This photo gained importance with both, Einstein and the rest of the world. According to dw.com, he cropped out his friends from the photo and would send the edited draft to his acquaintances stating ‘The outstretched tongue reflects my political views’.
The photo’s popularity didn’t lessen even after the death of Einstein. In fact, the original print of the photo was sold for a staggering $74,324 (€62,677) in an auction in 2009. Einstein was vehemently against the war, as he was Jewish and fled from Germany before it was taken over by Hitler.
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