World Year of Physics
The year 2005 has been named the World Year of Physics in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's "Miracle Year," in which he published four landmark papers, and the subsequent advances in the field of physics.
Physics has been the basis for understanding the physical world and nature as a whole. The applications of physics are the basis for much of today's technology. In order to both raise the worldwide awareness of physics and celebrate the major advances made in the field, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics resolved that 2005 should be commemorated as the World Year of Physics. This has subsequently been endorsed by both the United Nations and the United States Congress [1].
The year 2005 is significant primarily because of the changes that have occurred in the philosophy of physics over the past 100 years. These changes began in 1905 with the publication of four papers by Einstein that: explained Brownian motion, introduced the special theory of relativity, described how the photoelectric effect could be explained by the quantization of light -which helped launch quantum mechanics-, and developed E = mc2. These papers are commonly called his Annus Mirabilis Papers because they later defined 1905 as a miracle year for physics.
Most physicists agree that the first three of those papers deserved Nobel Prizes, but only the paper on the photoelectric effect would win one. What makes these papers remarkable is that, in each case, Einstein boldly took an idea from theoretical physics to its logical consequences and managed to explain experimental results that had baffled scientists for decades.
...
Wikipedia