Albert Einstein's brain history following his 1955 death

Following the death of physicist Albert Einstein at Princeton Hospital on April 18, 1955, pathologist Thomas Harvey removed Einstein’s brain without permission from the scientist or his family. Despite Einstein’s explicit wishes for cremation and the secret scattering of his ashes to avoid cult-like veneration, Harvey took the organ to conduct scientific research.

After losing his position at Princeton, Harvey moved the brain to Philadelphia, where it was divided into 240 pieces and preserved using celloidin. The brain fragments were kept in jars in his basement and later moved across the American Midwest, including locations in Wichita, Kansas, and Weston, Missouri, often stored in unconventional containers such as apple crates.