In his talk, Dr. Stachel will concentrate on Einstein's annus mirabilis, or "miraculous year," and recount the events in Einstein's personal life that led to a miraculous moment in scientific history. In 1905, Einstein published five papers that explained the Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect and proposed his special theory of relativity with its famous equation of e=mc˛. These papers have ensconced Einstein in history as one of the world's most renowned scientists and serve as a foundation for the study of modern physics. Stachel, author of numerous books and articles on Einstein, wrote the introduction to the book, "Einstein's Miraculous Year: Five Papers That Changed the Face of Physics," a compilation and English translation of all five of Einstein's seminal works of 1905, published just in time for the centenary.

The United Nations has endorsed the year 2005 as the World Year of Physics, a time for international celebration of the pioneering scientific contributions of Albert Einstein in 1905. This centennial year also presents a unique opportunity to increase worldwide awareness of the major role physics will play in the coming millennium.

Begun in 1992, the Dibner Library Lecture is held annually and features distinguished scholars who have made significant contributions to his or her field of study. Previous lecturers have included Albert Van Helden, author and professor of history of science at Utrecht University, Netherlands; Ken Alder, author and professor at Northwestern University; Anthony Grafton of Princeton University and contributing editor to The New Republic; and Steven J. Dick of the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Copies of the lectures are available from the Director's Office, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, P.O. Box 37012, National Museum of Natural History, Room 22, MRC 154, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012. Telephone: (202) 633-2240. They are also posted online at http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/browse.htm. The lecture series and its publication are made possible by the generous support of The Dibner Fund.

The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, one of the Smithsonian Libraries' 20 branches, opened in October 1976. The library's original collection of 10,000 rare books and 1,600 manuscript groups came to the Smithsonian from the Burndy Library, founded by Bern Dibner in Norwalk, Conn., at the time of America's bicentennial celebrations. The collection, now numbering more than 25,000 books and 1,800 manuscript groups, includes premier scientific texts spanning the 15th to the early 20th centuries and has grown to form one of the cornerstones of the Smithsonian Libraries' collections. For nearly 30 years, this library has provided vital primary sources to scholars, curators and members of the scientific community.