ABSTRACT In the short duration of six months, one week, and two days, Einstein, in 1905, wrote five papers that stand firm today. One of these papers was revolutionary. This paper, on the nature of light, made him the father of quantum physics. Ten years later, after almost a decade of focused effort, Einstein produced what might be the supreme example of human creativity. These accomplishments qualified him as one of the greatest physicists of all time, and, curiously, they made him a world celebrity. Why does Einstein, a physicist, have such appeal people everywhere? What lessons can we, as physicists, draw from the Einstein phenomenon?