Knut Hamsun · Albert Einstein Were Knut Hamsun and Albert Einstein alive at the same time? Yes. Knut Hamsun and Albert Einstein were alive at the same time for 72 years, from 1879 to 1952. Knut Hamsun was 19 when Albert Einstein was born.Albert Einstein was 72 when Knut Hamsun died, aged 92. Knut HamsunNorwegian novelistBorn 4 August 1859 · died 19 February 1952, aged 92Albert EinsteinGerman-born theoretical physicistBorn 14 March 1879 · died 18 April 1955, aged 76 Karl MarxKnut HamsunAlbert EinsteinAdolf HitlerRonald ReaganDonald TrumpVladimir Putin Knut Hamsun and Albert Einstein in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.