Mileva Marić

Hello! My name is Mileva Marić. I was born on December 19th, 1875, in a small town in Serbia. Ever since I was a little girl, my mind was full of questions about the world. I didn't just want to look at the stars; I wanted to know what they were made of! I loved math and science more than anything. Numbers felt like a secret code, and I was determined to crack it.

When I was growing up, it was very unusual for girls to study subjects like physics and mathematics. Most people thought those were for boys only. But I knew I was just as curious and smart as anyone else. I had to get special permission to attend a high school that was only for boys! It was a bit strange at first, but I worked hard and showed everyone that a girl could be a star student in science.

I wanted to keep learning, so in 1896, I moved all the way to Switzerland to attend a famous university called the Zürich Polytechnic. It was one of the only places where women were allowed to study advanced science. I was one of just a handful of women there! It was so exciting to be in classes filled with new ideas. It was also where I met another student who loved physics as much as I did. His name was Albert Einstein.

Albert and I became great friends. We would spend hours talking about space, time, and light. We helped each other with tricky problems and shared all our new ideas. In 1903, we got married and started a family. We had two wonderful sons, Hans Albert and Eduard. Our home was always buzzing with talk of science and discovery. It was a special time, sharing my life with someone who understood my passion for understanding the universe.

I lived a long life full of challenges and discoveries, and I passed away in 1948. I lived to be 72 years old. Today, I am remembered as one of the first women to break into the world of physics. I hope my story shows you that no matter who you are, you should always follow your curiosity. If you have a passion for something, whether it's science, art, or music, chase it with all your heart!