Albert Einstein’s Declaration to Become a U.S. Citizen

Do you have ancestors who became naturalized citizens? A great place to hunt for information are in the pages of your ancestor’s naturalization records. Information such as birth date, birth place, physical description, race, residence, relative’s names and birth dates, port of entry and even a picture can be found all in one place. Below is Albert Einstein‘s declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States, submitted January 15, 1936. Read on to check out some of the rich data genealogists can gather from these naturalization records.

Dr. Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. Einstein listed “Professor” as his occupation. He describes himself as a white male with fair complexion, brown eyes and grey hair, 5 feet 7 inches and 175 pounds. He lists his race as Hebrew and nationality as German.

At the time he submitted his declaration of intention, he was married to his wife, Elsa. The couple were married on April 6, 1917 in Berlin, Germany. Elsa was born in Hechingen, Germany (misspelled as Hechingey ) on January 18, 1877. She entered the United States via New York on June 3, 1935. The couple were living at 112 Mercer St. in Princeton, New Jersey. He had two children from his first marriage, Albert (born May 14, 1905) and Eduard (born June 28, 1910); both lived in Switzerland.

Einstein emigrated to the United States from Bermuda in Great Britain. He entered the country through New York on June 3, 1935 on the SS Queen of Bermuda. Also included is Einstein’s signature and photo.

View this document on Albert Einstein’s Geni profile.

Einstein finally became an American citizen in 1940.

You can track down these records at the National Archives. You never know what great information you might find. Make sure to upload these records to your relative’s Geni profile to share it with all of your family!

If you have a relative who has changed citizenship, let us know in the comments below!