Couples who sign up with uTango spend online and get cash back each year for spending habits as well as larger bonuses for every 10 years they stay married.
Many married couples are signing up for a program that offers them big rewards to stay married. The program called uTango is an online rewards program that urges couples to stay together through financial perks. As they spend money online at one of 300 companies, they earn points. These points add up to cash back bonuses at the end of the year and even larger bonuses when couples reach marriage milestones. These bonuses can add up to a million dollars. All they have to do is stay married.
The company is headed by CEO Jim Miller who believes that couples who stay married deserve extra perks for their accomplishments. Single and engaged couples are also permitted to join as well as newlyweds. If and when these couples do decide to marry, they can use their cash back bonuses to pay for their wedding expenses. Married couples who join must be married less than three years.
Different plans require different online spending requirements each year, promoting online spending as often as possible. There are three types of plans that users can choose from. These include the $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000 rewards plan. Each plan names the amount that couples receive when they hit their 30th anniversary. Each has a different yearly online spending requirement with $5,000 being the minimum on the lowest plan and $20,000 with the highest plan. Once married, couples get $10,000 on their 10th anniversary, $100,000 on their 20th anniversary, and those who sign up for the most expensive plan can get up to $1 million on their 30th anniversary. If they get divorced, the cash stops coming.
There are 15 shopping categories to choose from on the site to help couples reach their spending requirements. These categories range from clothing to travel and include toys, jewelry, electronics, and lawn and garden. Such a service is likely to be a success in this country which has growing numbers of online buying practices. According to a recent online shopping survey conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project last year, online buying increased from 22 percent to 49 percent since June 2000 to September 2007. In fact, about 66 percent of Americans who have internet access have purchased at least one item online. The uTango service may be one of the services that help increase the number of online spenders as well as promote long term marriages, blending modern technology with traditional values.
Couples Paid To Stay Married
25 crazy , true but unknown facts from the world
1 | 69% Americans use Internet & 5.5% Indians only. |
2 | El Azizia in Libya recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13, 1922 - the hottest ever measured. |
3 | Plastics take 500 years to break down. |
4 | America has 30.30% airports of the world & India has only 0.70%. |
5 | There are roughly 4,000 known minerals, although only about 200 are of major importance. |
6 | The total surface area of the Earth is 197 million square miles. |
7 | Crocodile only animal & reptile that sheds tear while eating. |
8 | The world’s deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1557 in central China, more than 830,000 people were killed. |
9 | Angel Falls in Venezuela is the worlds highest waterfall, The water of Falls drops 3,212 feet (979 meters). |
10 | The sunrays reached at the earth in 8 minutes & 3 seconds. |
11 | 8.7 million of United State residents who were born in Asia. |
12 | The world’s population has been increased 3.1 billion in last 40 years. |
13 | 180 million nos. of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. |
14 | 3,467 Nos. of confectionery nut stores in the United States, they are among the best sources of sweets for Valentine’s Day. |
15 | 4% people drink cold drink daily. |
16 | Traffic lights are being used before the invention of motor car. |
17 | More than 50 million Americans said they had a disability; for 32.5 million of them, the disability was severe. |
18 | About 40% Proportion of all Valentine card purchases which parents account for. |
19 | First Stock Exchange of America was in Philadelphia & it was established in 1791. |
20 | Girls however are slightly more likely than boys to use home computers for e-mail, word processing and completing school assignments than playing games. |
21 | A normal person laughs five times in a day. |
22 | Approximate 300 million film tickets are sold every year in India. |
23 | In Britain 70% mothers go for work. |
24 | More artists live in California than any other state in the United States. There are 10,000 arts organizations in California. |
25 | Alfred Southwick developed the idea of using electric current & Professionally he was a Dentist (MDS, DDS). |
BEATLES TIMELINE FACTS
July 7, 1940 - Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) is born in Liverpool.
October 9, 1940 - John Lennon is born in Liverpool.
June 18, 1942 - Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool.
February 24, 1943 - George Harrison is born in Liverpool.
1957 - John Lennon, age 16, forms the Quarry Men, a band comprised of pals from his school, Quarry Bank Grammar.
July 6, 1957 - Paul McCartney, age 15, meets John at a Quarry Men performance at Woolton Parish Church fete. Soon after, John invites him to join the band.
February 1958 - George Harrison, age 15, joins the group.
January 1960 - Stu Sutcliffe, a friend of John's at Liverpool College of Art, is asked to join the group as bass guitarist. The band changes its name to Silver Beetles, then Silver Beatles.
August 1960 - Drummer Pete Best joins group, now known as simply the Beatles. He accompanies the band to Hamburg where, over five visits between now and December 1962, the group hones its sound at the Indra, Kaiserkeller, Top Ten and Star clubs.
December 27, 1960 - Having returned to Liverpool the Beatles appear on this date at a local public hall, Litherland Town Hall, prompting fan frenzy. Their popularity secure, they work the North West of Britain steadily to committed followers for the next two years.
Spring 1961 - Stuart Sutcliffe quits the Beatles.
November 1961 - The Beatles meet Brian Epstein, who becomes their manager. They start to polish their image and seek a recording contract.
January 1, 1962 - They audition (unsuccessfully) for Decca Records in London.
April 10, 1962 - Stuart Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg.
June 6, 1962 - The Beatles audition for George Martin, a producer at EMI. He signs them, and becomes their producer throughout the Beatles' career.
August 16, 1962 - Pete Best leaves the Beatles.
August 18, 1962 - Ringo joins the band.
October 5, 1962 - The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do" is released in the United Kingdom. It rises to a respectable #17 on the British charts.
January 11, 1963 - The Beatles" second single, "Please Please Me," is released in the U.K.. It goes to #1 on the British charts on February 22 and stays there for two weeks.
February 11, 1963 - In a single day, the Beatles record their first full album, also entitled "Please Please Me." They record ten songs, which were added to the previously recorded "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "P.S. I Love You," and "Ask Me Why."
March 22, 1963 - The album "Please Please Me" is released in the U.K. and becomes a runaway hit. Once it hits number one, it remains there for 29 weeks. The Beatles have taken Britain by storm and successive singles all hit number one: "From Me To You," "She Loves You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The album is released in America in July with the title, "Introducing the Beatles," and initially flops.
October 1963 - Beatlemania spreads through Europe. (This is the month biographers and Beatles scholars often point to as the start of the Beatles' phenomenal popularity).
October 13, 1963 - Beatles play on ITV's "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" which is broadcast to 15 million viewers. (This show in the United Kingdom was analogous to "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the U.S.)
November 4, 1963 - The Beatles appear at the Royal Command Performance, performing for the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Before beginning "Twist and Shout," John tweaks the crowd with his comment, "Will the people in the cheaper seats clap their hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry."
November 22, 1963 - The band's second album "With the Beatles" is released in the U.K., remaining in the top position on the British charts for 21 weeks. It features the songs "All My Loving," "Please Mr. Postman," "Roll Over Beethoven," and others. It succeeded the first album in the number one spot, and together the Beatles were top on the album charts for 51 consecutive weeks.
November 29, 1963 - The single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" is released in the U.K. and immediately hits number one on the charts. It is released in the U.S. December 26 that year, and spends seven weeks at number one.
January 20, 1964 - The album, "Meet the Beatles!" is released by Capitol Records in the U.S. On February 15 it hits number one on Billboard's chart in America, where it remains for 11 weeks.
February 7, 1964 - The Beatles land at JFK Airport in New York. The British Invasion begins. Fans surround the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles are staying.
February 9, 1964 - The Beatles perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and are watched by a record-setting 73 million people (23,240,000 households, according to A.C. Nielsen). They perform five songs, "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
February 11, 1964 - The Beatles give their first live performance in the U.S. at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C.
February 12, 1964 - The Beatles perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
February 16, 1964 - The Beatles perform for the second time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Approximately 70 million people tune in (22,445,000 households).
February 23, 1964 - The Beatles appear for the third time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," this time with a taped performance of three songs.
March 2, 1964 - Filming commences on the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's Night," and is completed in eight weeks.
March 31, 1964 - The Beatles hold the top five slots on Billboard's chart: (1) Can't Buy Me Love, (2) Twist and Shout, (3) She Loves You, (4) I Want To Hold Your Hand (5) Please Please Me--a musical first.
April 4, 1964 - The Beatles hold 14 slots on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
July 6, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" premieres in London. It cost $500,000. The film is well-received by critics and the public.
July 10, 1964 - The album "A Hard Day's Night" is released in the U.K., hitting number one there, as well as in America after its U.S. release in August.
August 11, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" opens in America and is a huge hit.
August 19, 1964 - The Beatles perform at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, in the first concert of their USA/Canada tour, which lasts a month.
December 4, 1964 - The album "Beatles For Sale" is released in the U.K. and hits number one.
February 23, 1965 - Shooting begins in the Bahamas on the Beatles' second film, "Help!"
June 12, 1965 - The Beatles are named Members of the British Empire by the Queen, and in October they are presented with medals at Buckingham Palace.
July 29, 1965 - The Beatles second feature film, "Help!" opens in London. It opens in the U.S. on August 11 that year. It cost $1.5 million to make and was very successful.
August 6, 1965 - The album, "Help!" is released in the U.K. and becomes a number one hit there and in the U.S.
August 15, 1965 - The Beatles play for a record-breaking 55,600 people at New York's Shea Stadium, grossing $304,000 dollars. The Beatles' share was $160,000.
December 3, 1965 - The album, "Rubber Soul," is released in the U.K. and goes to number one there and in the U.S.
August 5, 1966 - The album, "Revolver," is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S.
August 29, 1966 - The Beatles give their last live concert, in San Francisco, California.
June 1, 1967 - The album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts all over the world, holding the number one slot in Britain for 27 weeks and for 19 in America. It receives four Grammys including Best Album.
June 25, 1967 - The Beatles star in "Our World," a two-hour satellite television program transmitted live by satellite to five continents and 24 countries. They perform "All You Need is Love." This was the first live television satellite program to air worldwide.
August 27, 1967 - Brian Epstein dies. The Beatles learn of his death while they are visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor, Wales. The spiritual leader is introducing people to Transcendental Meditation (TM).
November 27, 1967 - The album, "Magical Mystery Tour," is released in the U.S. where it hits number one. It is released in the U.K. eleven days later as an extended play disc, without three singles.
December 26, 1967 - "Magical Mystery Tour," the Beatles' hour-long television special airs in the U.K., where it is seen by approximately 14 million viewers and not liked by critics.
February 1968 - The Beatles travel to Rishikesh, India, to attend a TM seminar hosted by Maharishi at his center. They stay a few weeks.
May 14, 1968 - John and Paul appear on "The Tonight Show" (with guest host Joe Garagiola) to announce that their company, Apple, desires to help young artists.
July 17, 1968 - "Yellow Submarine," the animated film, premieres in London. It opens in America several months later and becomes a great success.
November 22, 1968 - The album, "The Beatles" ('White Album'), is released and zooms to number one in Britain and America.
January 13, 1969 - The soundtrack, "Yellow Submarine," is released in the U.S. and reaches the number two position on the British and American charts (number one was held by the White Album).
January 30, 1969 - The Beatles perform together for the last time live, singing many songs, on the roof of Apple's London office. The scenes were included in what became the documentary "Let It Be."
Mid-September, 1969 - John decides to "divorce" the Beatles, but he does not announce it publicly because of contract negotiations taking place with EMI. By this time, George and Ringo have each quit the band for short spells, returning soon after.
September 26, 1969 - The Beatles last studio album, "Abbey Road," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts there and in America.
November 25, 1969 - John returns his Member of the British Empire medal to Buckingham Palace as an anti-war protest, and, he says in his letter to the Queen, in protest against his single "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts.
April 10, 1970 - Paul announces publicly that he has left the Beatles.
May 8, 1970 - The Beatles last album, "Let It Be" (recorded before "Abbey Road"), is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S.
May 20, 1970 - The movie, "Let It Be," premieres in London. None of the Beatles attend.
Cricket {Sports} ..intresting facts shared
The first international cricket match was held between the US and Canada in 1844. The match was played in New York and Canada won by 23 runs.
India were all out for 54 in October 2000, their lowest ever total in One Day Internationals against Sri Lanka.
Sir D. Bradman of Australia is considered the bestbatsman of all times. He played 80 test innings with an average of 99.9. He scored 29 centuries and 13 fifties. His highest score was 334.
Australia holds the record of most consecutive wons in test matches i.e. 16 consecutive test matches won.
West Indies holds the record of Most consecutive test matches drwan i.e. 10 test matches drawn consecutively.
Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf holds the record of most runs in a calender year and most centuries in a calender year. He broke both these records in 2006.
Australia has the best win record in test matches, that is 63.92% wins, they have won 319 of 686 test matches since march 1887.
Shahid Afridi of Pakistan scored fastes ODI century in 1996. It was scored on 37 balls. He still holds that record
The longest test match of all was played between England and South Africa at Durban in 1938-39. This was a timeless test which lasted for 9 days, despite which the match ended in a draw since the England players had to leave to catch the boat back to England!
Only four test series have ended 0-0 with all five matches being drawn. India was involved in three of them, including two in a row against Pakistan.
Two spectators were killed and several injured when a stand collapsed during the India v England game at Nagpur in January 1985
England's John Jameson, who was born in India, made his highest Test score( 82 ) against India.
South African player Herschelle Gibbs was banned for two test matches after abusing Pakistani spectators in the first test match of a 3 test match series against pakistan in 2007.
At an individual level, 1982 Duleep Mendis of Sri Lanka scored 105 in both innings against India. He is the only batsman to hit identical hundreds in both innings of a test match.
Wrigleys, Gum History & Facts
- The largest piece of gum produced was the equivalent of 10,000 pieces of gum, it was presented to baseball great Willie Mays from 1974.
- To grow all the mint Wrigley needs for its mint flavored gums would take 53 square miles of farmland – about 30,550 football fields!
- Wrigley's chewing gum is enjoyed from more than 150 countries throughout the world.
- The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company grows enough mint for the Spearmint gum to fill about 16,300 football fields from just one year and all of it is grown on U.S. farms.
- Wrigley fact: If each stick produced annually at this one plant were laid end to end, the gum would stretch around the world 19 times.
- Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit and Spearmint gums are more than 100 years old. Your grandparents probably chewed these when they were kids!
- The first commercial chewing gum, State of Maine Spruce Gum was introduced from 1850.
- William F. Semple of Mount Vernon, Ohio, patented chewing gum from 1869.
- William Wrigley Jr entered the market from 1891 using the Lotta and Vassar brands.
- Wrigley’s Spearmint and Juicy Fruit followed from 1893.
- William Wrigley Jr, from the early 1900s, was one of the first to promote the sale of branded goods through advertising. Spearmint quickly became a best seller.
- ORBIT was invented as a special wartime brand and was supplied to the Armed Forces, since it was recognized that gum eases tension, promotes alertness and improves morale.
- People have chewed on natural materials for hundreds of years, including thickened resin and latex from certain trees, sweet grasses, leaves, grains and waxes.
- The use of spruce continued until the 1850s when paraffin wax became the new popular base for chewing gum.
- Cinnamon, spearmint and peppermint are among the most popular flavors of chewing gum today.
- In A.D. 50, Ancient Greeks were believed to chew mastic, tree resin taken from bark of the Mastic tree. Grecian women favored chewing this to clean their teeth and sweeten their breath!
- An Indian civilization that inhabited Central America enjoyed chewing chicle. This is a natural gum that comes from the latex of the Sapodilla tree and became the main ingredient from chewing gum.
- American Indians used to quench their thirsts by chewing the gum-like resin that forms on spruce trees when the bark is cut. Spruce became the first commercial chewing gum, being sold and traded from lumps.
- During WW2, US military personnel spread the popularity of chewing gum by trading it and giving it as gifts to people from Europe, Africa, Asia and around the world.
- The country using the largest number of chewing gum manufacturers is Turkey, using more then 60 companies manufacturing chewing gum!
- The head of the Philadelphia Chewing Gum Company (makers of Swell Bubble Gum), Edward L. Fenimore, has been said to have blown a bubble within a bubble within a bubble (a triple whammy).
- Humans are the only animals on earth that chew gum.
- Ancient Greeks chewed gum thousands of years ago.
- The ages of 12 to 24 chew more gum than any other age group.
- A study by specialists of a sociological service of the Youth Press agency, questioned 1000 kids from ten Russian cities and found that about two thirds of them had collections and that 22% of them collected chewing gum wrappers and labels.
Why is bubble gum pink? The color of the first successful bubble gum was pink because it was the only color the inventor had left. The color "stuck" and today bubble gum is still predominantly pink.
- Can you really remove gum from your hair using peanut butter? It has been proven that if you knead a small amount of peanut butter between your fingers and the gum, the gum will disperse enough so you can remove it.
- Detectives have been known to identify criminals by comparing the suspect's chewed gum to their dental records.
- Some people use gum to help break bad habits such as smoking and/or overeating. Studies have been done showing that chewing on gum relaxes muscles and helps relieve stress and tension from people.
- Because of gravity, you must measure bubble gum bubbles by their width, not their height.
- Japanese chemists have invented 'Mood Gum'. Like the Mood Rings popular from America, Mood Gum changes color when you're happy, sad, angry, etc.
- Chewing bubble gum is said to keep you from crying.
- Swallowed bubble gum will not get stuck from your intestines, but it will pass through your system, because gum base can not be digested.
Sources: The Wrigley Company. The Chewing Gum Book, Robert Young. 1989 Dillon Press.
http://www.betteroralhealth.info/orbit_us/about-wrigley/fun-facts/index.htm
Origin of Vastu
Origin of Vastu
These days, the concept of consulting Vastu expert for creating peaceful settings at home and workplace, has gained popularity. This architectural scientific study of directions, more popularly known as Vastu is not new. In fact it has its origin in the Stapatya Veda, a part of the Atharva Veda. Thus, the origin of vastu study can be said to have taken place thousands of years ago. It is interesting to explore facts about Vaasthu origin. Read further to know about Vaastu shastra history…
The early principles of Vastu were framed on the basis of observation of the sunrays at different durations during the day. Vastu study has incorporated the principles of sculptures, construction and architecture, as were described in the epics. One can find its mention in different epics like Mataysya Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Garuda Purana, and Vishnu Purana.
References can also be found in the Mahabharata; of different houses built for the kings, which were constructed following Vaastu guidelines. Even Buddhist literature makes numerous mentions of different buildings based on Vaasthu. It has become a tradition of passing the knowledge of Vastu shashtra from one generation to another.
Salty Facts... The essence of food (Chk it out)
- The sea contains an estimated 40 million, billion tonnes of salt; If the world's oceans evaporated, enough salt would be crystallised to cover Britain to a depth of 50 miles;
- Salt is used to removed traces of water from aviation fuel after it is purified;
- Being hygroscopic, salt spread on dusty floors in equestrian centres and indoor arenas retains moisture and keeps down dust;
- Until relatively recently, salt bars were the standard currency of Ethiopia and cakes of salt, stamped to show their value, could be used as money in countries as far apart as Tibet and Borneo;
- In ancient Greece, slaves were traded for salt- hence the expression 'not worth his salt';
- In his painting 'The Last Supper', Leonardo da Vinci put an overturned salt cellar in front of the ill-fated Judas;
- Total annual world-wide salt production is equivalent to the amount contained in two cubic miles of sea water. Now, that's a lot of water!
Contrary Salt!
- It comes from water, but it makes you thirsty
- It corrodes metal, but preserves your food
- It is hard, yet softens water
- It’s a mineral, and yet you eat it!
Superstitions:
- Salt has been thought of as a powerful magical substance.
- Spilling salt was an unlucky omen. Even today, some people throw salt over their left shoulder (into the eyes of the devil) after spilling some, to cancel the ‘bad luck’.It was also thought to be unlucky to help anyone to salt. An old phrase says "Help me to salt, help me to sorrow'.
- Superstitious sailors would not mention salt whilst at sea, and would never throw it overboard.
- In old Japanese theatres, salt was sprinkled on to the stage before each performance to prevent evil spirits from casting a spell on the actors and ruining the play.
- On a happier note, it is customary in some countries to greet newlyweds with gifts of salt and bread, instead of throwing confetti.
- In Arab countries salt was used to seal a bargain, and also as a sign of friendship, If you ate another man's salt, you could not harm him in any way whilst in his home, and he would not harm you.
- The Druids used salt in their rituals at Stonehenge. It is thought that this was as a symbol of the life-giving fruits of the earth.
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WEIRD FACTS - LINCOLN AND KENNEDY ( A must ..check it out)
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860..
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960..
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Now it gets really weird.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
And! Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Now hang on to your seat.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'
Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
And here's the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe,Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe
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EINSTEIN's FACTS
Read on for more obscure facts about the life of the world’s smartest genius:
1. Einstein Was a Fat Baby with Large Head
When Albert’s mother, Pauline Einstein gave birth to him, she thought that Einstein’s head was so big and misshapen that he was deformed!
As the back of the head seemed much too big, the family initially considered a monstrosity. The physician, however, was able to calm them down and some weeks later the shape of the head was normal. When Albert’s grandmother saw him for the first time she is reported to have
muttered continuously "Much too fat, much too fat!" Contrasting all apprehensions Albert grew and developed normally except that he seemed a bit slow. (Source)
2. Einstein Had Speech Difficulty as a Child
As a child, Einstein seldom spoke. When he did, he spoke very slowly - indeed, he tried out entire sentences in his head (or muttered them under his breath) until he got them right before he spoke aloud. According to accounts, Einstein did this until he was nine years old. Einstein’s parents were fearful that he was retarded - of course, their fear was completely unfounded!
One interesting anecdote, told by Otto Neugebauer, a historian of science, goes like this:
As he was a late talker, his parents were worried. At last, at the supper table one night, he broke his silence to say, "The soup is too hot."
Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said a word before.
Albert replied, "Because up to now everything was in order." (Source)
3. Einstein was Inspired by a Compass
When Einstein was five years old and sick in bed, his father showed him something that sparked his interest in science: a compass.
When Einstein was five years old and ill in bed one day, his father showed him a simple pocket compass. What interested young Einstein was whichever the case was turned, the needle always pointed in the same direction. He thought there must be some force in what was presumed empty space that acted on the compass. This incident, common in many "famous childhoods," was reported persistently in many of the accounts of his life once he gained fame. (Source)
4. Einstein Failed his University Entrance Exam
In 1895, at the age of 17, Albert Einstein applied for early admission into the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule or ETH). He passed the math and science sections of the entrance exam, but failed the rest (history, languages, geography, etc.)! Einstein had to go to a trade school before he retook the exam and was finally admitted to ETH a year later. (Source) 5. Einstein had an Illegitimate Child
In the 1980s, Einstein’s private letters revealed something new about the genius: he had an illegitimate daughter with a fellow former student Mileva Marić (whom Einstein later married). In 1902, a year before their marriage, Mileva gave birth to a daughter named Lieserl, whom Einstein never saw and whose fate remained unknown:
Mileva gave birth to a daughter at her parents’ home in Novi Sad. This was at the end of January, 1902 when Einstein was in Berne. It can be assumed from the content of the letters that birth was difficult. The girl was probably christianised. Her official first name is unknown. In the letters received only the name “Lieserl” can be found.
The further life of Lieserl is even today not totally clear. Michele Zackheim concludes in her book “Einstein’s daughter” that Lieserl was mentally challenged when she was born and lived with Mileva’s family. Furthermore she is convinced that Lieserl died as a result of an infection with scarlet fever in September 1903. From the letters mentioned above it can also be assumed that Lieserl was put up for adoption after her birth.
In a letter from Einstein to Mileva from September 19, 1903, Lieserl was mentioned for the last time. After that nobody knows anything about Lieserl Einstein-Maric. (Source)
6. Einstein Became Estranged From His First Wife, then Proposed a Strange "Contract"
The relationship progressed. Einstein became estranged from his wife. The biography reprints a chilling letter from Einstein to his wife, a proposed "contract" in which they could continue to live together under certain conditions. Indeed that was the heading: "Conditions."
A. You will make sure
1. that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order;
2. that I will receive my three meals regularly in my room;
3. that my bedroom and study are kept neat, and especially that my desk is left for my use only.
B. You will renounce all personal relations with me insofar as they are not completely necessary for social reasons…
There’s more, including "you will stop talking to me if I request it." She accepted the conditions. He later wrote to her again to make sure she grasped that this was going to be all-business in the future, and that the "personal aspects must be reduced to a tiny remnant." And he vowed, "In return, I assure you of proper comportment on my part, such as I would exercise to any woman as a stranger." (Source)
7. Einstein Didn’t Get Along with His Oldest Son
After the divorce, Einstein’s relationship with his oldest son, Hans Albert, turned rocky. Hans blamed his father for leaving Mileva, and after Einstein won the Nobel Prize and money, for giving Mileva access only to the interest rather than the principal sum of the award - thus making her life that much harder financially.
The row between the father and son was amplified when Einstein strongly objected to Hans Albert marrying Frieda Knecht:
In fact, Einstein opposed Hans’s bride in such a brutal way that it far surpassed the scene that Einstein’s own mother had made about Mileva. It was 1927, and Hans, at age 23, fell in love with an older and - to Einstein - unattractive woman. He damned the union, swearing that Hans’s bride was a scheming woman preying on his son. When all else failed, Einstein begged Hans to not have children, as it would only make the inevitable divorce harder. … (Source: Einstein A to Z by Karen C. Fox and Aries Keck, 2004)
Later, Hans Albert immigrated to the United States became a professor of Hydraulic Engineering at UC Berkeley. Even in the new country, the father and son were apart. When Einstein died, he left very little inheritance to Hans Albert.
More about Hans Albert: Obituary by UC Berkeley
8. Einstein was a Ladies’ Man
After Einstein divorced Mileva (his infidelity was listed as one of the reasons for the split), he soon married his cousin Elsa Lowenthal. Actually, Einstein also considered marrying Elsa’s daughter (from her first marriage) Ilse, but she demurred:
Before marrying Elsa, he had considered marrying her daughter, Ilse, instead. According to Overbye, “She (Ilse, who was 18 years younger than Einstein) was not attracted to Albert, she loved him as a father, and she had the good sense not to get involved. But it was Albert’s Woody Allen moment.” (Source)
Unlike Mileva, Elsa Einstein’s main concern was to take care of her famous husband. She undoubtedly knew about, and yet tolerated, Einstein’s infidelity and love affairs which were later revealed in his letters:
Previously released letters suggested his marriage in 1903 to his first wife Mileva Maric, mother of his two sons, was miserable. They divorced in 1919, and he soon married his cousin, Elsa. He cheated on her with his secretary, Betty Neumann.
In the new volume of letters released on Monday by Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Einstein described about six women with whom he spent time and from whom he received gifts while being married to Elsa.
Some of the women identified by Einstein include Estella, Ethel, Toni and his "Russian spy lover," Margarita. Others are referred to only by initials, like M. and L.
"It is true that M. followed me (to England) and her chasing after me is getting out of control," he wrote in a letter to Margot in 1931. "Out of all the dames, I am in fact attached only to Mrs. L., who is absolutely harmless and decent." (Source)
9. Einstein, the War Pacifist, Urged FDR to Build the Atom Bomb
The Einstein and Szilárd’s letter was often cited as one of the reasons Roosevelt started the secret Manhattan Project [wiki] to develop the atom bomb, although later it was revealed that the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 probably did much more than the letter to spur the government.
Although Einstein was a brilliant physicist, the army considered Einstein a security risk and (to Einstein’s relief) did not invite him to help in the project.
