The confirmation of General Relativity in 1919, via Arthur Eddington’s eclipse observations, transformed Einstein into a global celebrity overnight. Isaacson analyzes this transition from scientist to icon with keen sociological insight. Einstein became a symbol of post-WWI internationalism and pacifism, a "saintly" figure in a world desperate for rational heroes. Isaacson notes that Einstein’s fame was unique; he was celebrated not for what he did, but for what he was —a symbol of pure intellect.
At age five, Einstein was mesmerized by a pocket compass. The invisible force directing the needle convinced him that there was something deeply hidden behind things. Einstein- His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson.pdf
Einstein was a lifelong pacifist who fiercely opposed World War I. The confirmation of General Relativity in 1919, via