May 29

Einstein's theory of relativity is verified during an eclipse

On this day in 1919, a solar eclipse provided the first evidence to support Einstein's theory of general relativity. Albert Einstein studied gravity and light, and he believed that energy is just a form of matter. Even though many scientists believed Einstein, he was unable to find proof of his theory for many years.

According to Einstein's theory, light should be affected by gravity just as any other form of matter. Specifically, Einstein thought that light could be bent by the pull of gravity. During the solar eclipse in 1919, British scientists reported that they could see stars which were behind the sun and should not be seen during the eclipse. The sun had bent light from the stars, and Einstein finally had evidence to support his theory.