“I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.” ~Albert Einstein IQ holder of an estimated 160, developer of general theory of relativity, winner of Nobel Prize in Physics, Albert Einstein evidently had many feathers in his cap. And his popularity was so immense that till date, he forms a regular part of our conversations when we refer to the geniuses we know as Einstein, either in appreciation or at times to pull a sarcasm. However, just like we would like to imagine, Einstein had a quirky side to him. And an idea of just how quirky the scientist was can be derived from the fact that Time magazine’s Frederic Golden referred to Einstein as “a cartoonist’s dream come true.” Einstein’s one of the most iconic photographs of all time, in which he sticks his tongue out, further glorifies Golden’s statement.

The photo was taken on Einstein’s 72nd birthday.

On March 14, 1951, friends and colleagues were celebrating the birthday of the great scientist. Photographers from all over the US were present to cover the whole event, something that Einstein found distressing.

Image source

As the event came towards its conclusion, Dr. Frank Aydelotte- former head of the Institute for Advanced Study and his wife offered Einstein a ride home- an offer the scientist accepted. Just as he got into the car, a throng of photographers surrounded it.

But the luck was on the side of a UPI photographer Arthur Sasse, who after persistent trials of persuading Einstein to smile for the camera, finally got a reaction. An exasperated scientist who had already faked a smile several times before at the party did something different this time. He stuck his tongue out, Sasse captured the shot, others missed it, and the photograph became one of the most famous of all time.

Image source