Was Albert Einstein the Hawk Tuah girl of the 1920s?

Spoiler: yes he was

Have you wondered why Albert Einstein is so famous? Like, really thought about it? 

Most people would say it’s because he came up with the theory of special relativity and quote E=MC². Even though your average layman might not understand this equation, or why it’s relevant, they do know it’s important. They’ll defend Einstein’s fame as a byproduct of his genius. He was a once-in-a-generation brain. An unparalleled talent

But was he? 

Well, sure. So long as you ignore the likes of Neils Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. You know Bohr and Heisenberg, right? The guys who came up with Quantum Mechanics? Born around the same time as Einstein? Theoretical scientists who made equally important contributions? No?

How peculiar. I suppose that means profound intellect in and of itself is not a predictor of celebrity. Quelle surprise. 

So how did Einstein become a ubiquitous household name when his equally gifted contemporaries faded into relative obscurity? Well, since we’re talking about theories, I would like to propose my own: I believe that – much like the Hawk Tuah girl – Albert Einstein is famous for being famous. An early prototype of virality, even. 

Did I just compare the world’s most famous physicist to some chick on the internet who spits on dicks? Yes I did. But if you don’t like that comparison, I could also call him the Kim Kardashian of physicists (but presumably without the superb arse – sadly that knowledge is lost to time). 

Before I explain, I will give credit where it is due. The following information comes from an exquisitely researched 1985 paper by philosopher Marshall Missner called Why is Einstein Famous in America?. 

As Missner writes, the early embers of Einstein’s fame began in 1919 when his relativity theory had started to make waves in the scientific community. This prompted an arguably hyperbolic quote from the president of the Royal Society, J.J. Thomson, who described relativity as: “one of the momentous, if not the most momentous pronouncements in the history of human thought”. 

It’s a bold statement and the American press ran with it. At this time, however, Einstein was somewhat absent from the narrative. The reporting focused on the theory, with sexy, intriguing words like ‘curved space’ and ‘four dimensions’ adding to the mystique of the story. 

When Einstein did appear in articles, he was characterised as a shadowy, somewhat menacing character. This wasn’t helped by the fact he was often referred to as the ‘destroyer of time and space’. Journalists at the time were referencing the fact Einstein had superseded theories which dated back to Newton and Euclid. This wasn’t how everyone took it. Some thought the very fabric of the universe could be destroyed by a madman wielding complicated maths. 

But the years went by, the world continued to spin on its axis in its usual manner, and the whole theory of relativity thing faded from the media cycle.

At this trajectory, Einstein should have disappeared back into obscurity, relegated to physics textbooks, and dry academic papers. 

But then, in 1921, something peculiar happened. 

A Washington Post reporter was sent to cover the arrival of a German scientist who was visiting America for the first time. It was a dull story, he thought, likely to be buried in the back pages of the paper. But when the reporter arrived at the dock, he was astounded. There were thousands of people already on the pier. They were waiting, he deduced, for Albert Einstein. And sure enough, when the scientist disembarked, the crowd cheered wildly.

People waving to Einstein as he is driven through New York streets.

A hero’s welcome for a scientist? This was a story. 

“Thousands at Pier to Greet Einstein – Triumphal Procession in his Honor Bewilders Sensitive Jewish Scientist”  was the Washington Post’s headline. Other equally-as-baffled outlets ran with similar angles. 

And like a chick on a YouTube channel advocating for dick spitting, Einstein’s fame exploded. Who was this scientist with thousands of screaming fans? Suddenly he, not the theory of relativity, was the centre of the story. 

Reporters rushed to interview Einstein. In turn, they were pleased to discover the man they’d deemed the ‘destroyer of time and space’ was actually quite a nice fellow. He gave good quotes, had a sense of humour and charmed the media with his down-to-earth attitude. 

For Hawk Tuah girl Hailey Welch the story is: ‘I can’t believe she’s famous for spitting on dicks’. In Einstein’s case it was: ‘I can’t believe a theoretical scientist is famous… well… at all’. At the centre of both these narratives is the unexpected nature of their infamy. 

Or it was. 

At some point Albert Einstein became an outright celebrity. Today we all unthinkingly accept his fame as normal, rather than an interesting aberration.

And here’s the kicker. That crowd on the pier? The thousands of people cheering Einstein’s arrival? It wasn’t even FOR him. 

Einstein’s first trip to the United States was with an envoy of Zionists promoting their cause in America. The enthusiastic crowd was comprised of Jews who turned up to show their support for the (at the time) obscure Zionist movement. The true star of that envoy – which was promoted in the Jewish media – was Chaim Weizmann, the leader of the international Zionist Organisation. In articles leading up to the envoy’s arrival, Einstein barely rated a mention. 

But the American press, likely ignorant of Weizmann and his organisation, misattributed the crowd’s enthusiasm.   

All of Hailey Welch’s fanfare for being the Hawk Tuah girl? Completely and legitimately hers. Just saying. 

If Einstein hadn’t agreed to that first American tour, unrelated as it was to his science, it is likely he would never have become a household name. The nature of trends and celebrity has, it seems, always been a bit random and baffling. The world is an improbable, and mysterious place. That is precisely how Einstein liked it. "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious,” he wrote in his essay The World As I See It. “It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.”

As for Hawk Tuah’s thoughts on the intersection of mystery, art and science? No word yet. But perhaps this, too, is coming soon.