The next person I would like to introduce you to is Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity along with one of the two pillars of modern physics.

Albert was born in Ulm a city in the old German Empire in 1879, he was a non-observant Jew, but attended Catholic elementary school in Munich for 3 years, then at 8 years old he transferred to the Lutipold Gymnasium this is where he received his advanced primary and secondary education until his family left the German Empire 7 years later. Einstein in school excelled in special reasoning and visual imagination.  Albert attributed his conception of his relativity theory to a thought experiment. In this experiment he envisioned himself riding on a streetcar traveling at the speed of light. Albert due to his Dyslexia which went undiagnosed at the time struggled in school and he didn’t learned to talk or write for a while. This is a reason his mind was so imaginative such as in his quote “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”.

Alberts work is known for its influence on the philosophy of science itself and is best known to the public for his famous formula for mass energy E=mc^2. He would receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his services to theoretical physics and his discovery of the law of photoelectric effect which is seen as a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory. Except for a 1 year where Einstein lived in Czechoslovakia, he then in Switzerland between 1895 and 1914, he renounced his German citizenship in 1896 and would go on to receive an academic diploma from the Swiss federal polytechnic school in 1900. He acquired Swiss citizenship in 1901 after 5 years without a official country to call home and he kept for the rest of his life. Albert was awarded a PhD by the University of Zurich in 1905 then that same year, he published four groundbreaking papers. Albert visited the U.S. in 1933 and then is when Hitler came to power in Germany and with his Jewish background Albert would not return to Germany. He would then settle in the U.S. and would receive his American citizenship in 1940. Now being one of the most prominent physicist in the U.S. he wrote a letter to President Roosevelt on the Germanys potential development of “extremely powerful bombs of a new type” this meaning nuclear weapons and he recommended that the US begin similar research as soon as possible. This would then lead to the development of the Manhattan Project and to the creation and use of the atom bomb by the U.S. on Japan to bring World War II to an end. Albert would join other scientist and warned of the danger of nuclear weapons as well, he would later be affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University until his death in 1955. It is truly amazing how much one man was able to accomplish in his lifetime not just help changing science as the world new it but changing the world in the process his work and life would make the name Einstein associated with genius forever.

The next person I would like to introduce you to is the world renown American Boxer, philanthropist, and activist Muhammad Ali. Who is seen as one of the most celebrated and significant athletes of the 20^th century.

He was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942 under the birth name Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. he was always drown to sports especially boxing from a young age. He began training as an amateur boxer when he was just 12 years old. Just a few years later when he was 18 he won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, in the light heavyweight division. He is known as a very inspiring, polarizing, and controversial figure both inside and outside the ring. Soon after the Olympics he would change his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali with his conversion to Islam, he described Cassius as his slave name. This had become somewhat common for some African Americans during the civil rights movement used to show racial pride. Soon after winning the 1966 heavyweight title, Ali would defy norms and the establishment by refusing to be drafted for the Vietnam War. Ali would be arrested and then found guilty of draft evasion and was stripped of his boxing titles. Ali successful appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, the court would rule in Ali’s favor in 1971. His actions may have put his boxing career on hold but it made him a huge figure and voice for the counterculture generation in American. Ali remains the only 3-time lineal champion of the heavyweight division, his records of beating 21 other boxers for the title which was shared with Joe Louis were unbeaten for 35 years.

From all his titles and fights you can imagine a lot of honors and nicknames came along with it. Ali has the popular nickname “The Greatest” along with being The Ring Magazines Fighter of the year 6 times and ranked as one of the greatest athletes of the 20^thcentury by Sports Illustrated. It is truly amazing everything Ali was able to accomplish in his life, especially given that he barely got through high school with his Dyslexia.“Ali was diagnosed with dyslexia. He understood the pain caused by being unable to perform well in school because of reading difficulties and wanted to help others experiencing the same issues. Ali and his wife worked to improve the literacy of African Americans. They created the Go the Distance series of books and magazines selected to motivate and inspire young black readers” (Dyslexia Help Success Starts Here). He would retire from boxing at age 39 in 1981, he was able to focus of his religion and charity, but later in 1984 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. It would really change Ali and he made far less public appearances and was cared for by his family until his death in 2016. One cannot be but inspired by this hero of his times not just a great athlete but an overall great human would is able to stand up against the establishment and has the desire to help others which helped fuel him in his later years. It can be seen in the video below that the effects of dyslexia continue in Ali’s children.

The next person I would like to introduce you to is Jennifer Aniston, renown and iconic American actress and producer.

Jennifer was born in Sherman Oaks, California in 1969 and as child moved to New York City with her family. Even though her father was an actor her family tried to keep her away from TV but as a kid she found ways around it. She would attend the Waldorf School where she then discovered acting and when on to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. During this her parents got a divorce when she was nine which was very hard on her. As a child she struggled in school and did get diagnosed with Dyslexia until she was in her 20’s. She stated in an interview “I thought I wasn’t smart. I just couldn’t retain anything,” and “Now I had this great discovery. I felt like all of my childhood trauma-dies, tragedies, dramas were explained”. Some studies show that many accomplished actors and actresses are Dyslexic, it really helps fuel their creative spirit for their work helps gives them empathy, careful observation, it also really helps them get into the heads of different characters. Jennifer started out working in off Broadway productions and supported herself with several part-time jobs a lot like Joey from Friends one of these included a waitress which probably prepared her a lot to work at Central Perk. She later a minor role in a film called Mac and Me (sounds like Joey’s show Mac and Cheese from Friends just saying) and also had been on The Howard Stern Show representing Nutrisystem.

Jennifer would then move back to LA, she got her first TV role on Molloy and appeared in Ferris Bueller but both of these shows would be cancelled. She had stared in the show Camp Cucamonga and in the movie Leprechaun (worst many see as her worst role ever literally if you want to laugh look up the trainer to the movie you won’t be disappointed). She appeared in several other shows until the magic really started to happen that helped change her life and define a decade. Jennifer was fairly depressed by her unsuccessful TV shows she reached out to the head of NBC entertainment Warren Littlefield for advice and told her to keep acting and he help get her a role in Friends (and the world changed for the better). Originally the show writers wanted her to audition to be Monica but saw Courtney Cox fit it better and made her Rachel Green. At the same time, she was offered a spot-on Saturday Night Live but she turned it down to be on Friends (best decision ever). As we all know the show Friends is amazing and went on to be one of the most popular and iconic shows of the 90’s and early 2000’s. The whole cast still makes millions from the show which is amazing given that it ended 14 years ago. Jennifer has gone on to have a very successful career in film and is still one of Americas most famous and iconic actresses was able to rise above her disability and become the icon on a decade and has help make millions of fans laughing for years.