Happy Pi Day! Sorry, no need to grab a fork. In 2009, Congress designated March 14 as Pi Day in an effort to encourage children to learn about mathematics and science. 3/14 connects to the well-known mathematical constant π, representing the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The irrational number is never-ending but begins with 3.141592653... you get the idea.

In a cosmic coincidence, March 14 also happens to be the birthday of one of the world’s greatest mathematicians: Albert Einstein. He famously worked as a Swiss patent clerk before releasing theories that changed the way we understand the universe. A series of breakthroughs earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. The rise of Nazi antisemitism forced him to flee Europe in the 1930s. Einstein settled in Princeton, New Jersey, and became an American citizen in 1940. While working at the Institute for Advanced Study, he became a vocal advocate for racial equality and nonviolence. He passed away in 1955.

Just across Constitution Avenue from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands a wonderful memorial to Albert Einstein. Located on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences, a massive four-ton bronze sculpture of the brilliant physicist sits on a series of low granite steps on an (of course!) circular dais.

Photo by National Park Service.

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