Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Social media post makes baseless claims about Albert Einstein, others
If Your Time is short
- This claim is baseless. Albert Einstein’s birth certificate identifies him as a "child of the male sex."
Physicist Albert Einstein is considered one of the most influential scientists in human history, but a social media post citing no proof proclaims he had a secret.
"Albert Einstein was a transgender," the March 6 Facebook post said. "This has been going on for a very long time."
The video cites no source. Instead, what follows is a three-minute video in which photos of celebrities and other public figures, including some women whom the video labeled "male."
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
"We are all being played, I’m telling you," a voice could be heard saying in the video as images of Einstein are followed by images suggesting that actors Marilyn Monroe and Julia Roberts, former first lady Michelle Obama, and singer Beyoncé were born as males.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
We did not find any evidence to back up the claim Einstein was transgender.
Featured Fact-check
Rather, documents held by Princeton University show an English translation of Einstein’s 1879 birth certificate that discloses that "a child of the male sex was born, which was given the first name Albert."
We’ve previously debunked numerous unfounded claims that Michelle Obama was a man. They’re wrong, and this claim about Einstein also lacks any corroboration.
We rate this post Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook post, March 6, 2024
PolitiFact, Michelle Obama was never a man, Feb. 28, 2023
Princeton University, Einstein Papers: Volume 1: The Early Years, 1879-1902 (English translation supplement) Page 3, visited March 12, 2024
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
Social media post makes baseless claims about Albert Einstein, others
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.