We can get a glimpse of the reaction simply by looking at media responses. Einstein died on April 18, 1955 and the New York Times announced his death the following morning with headline at the top of the front page and a portrait in the top-center. The headline read "Dr. Albert Einstein Dies in Sleep at 76; World Mourns Loss of Great Scientist" and it was followed by a sub-head reading "DR. EINSTEIN DIES IN HIS SLEEP AT 76 Rupture of Aorta Causes Death--Body Cremated --Memorial Here Set."

Over the following month there were 29 additional stories on Einstein, ranging from tributes and appreciations to updates on his will and the news that the scientist's brain would be dissected by a Princeton pathologist in an effort to determine if his "brain covering" (meninges) provided evidence of his intellect. ("KEY CLUE SOUGHT IN EINSTEIN BRAIN: Study of Blood Vessels in Its Covering May Shed Light on Secret of Genius" By WILLIAM L. LAURENCE. New York Times 20 Apr 1955.) His will, it was reported on May 5th, left a total of $65,000 to "his housekeeper, his two sons, a stepdaughter, and a grandson."

Most of the coverage praised Einstein's intellect and character. On April 19th the editorial page proclaimed "What distinguished Einstein both as a scientist and a man was his passionate devotion to the truth." That same issue included a series of appreciations by famous scientists (on pg. 24) including reprinted excerpts from Vol 7 of The Library of Living Philosophers, published in 1949 when he was 70. The entirety of the facing page (25) was about Einstein, including the headline story "Einstein Noted as an Iconoclast In Research, Politics and Religion: His Early Space-Time Reflections in Bern Led to Strong Belief in Social Equality and Hope for a World Government." The positive coverage carried on to page 26, with the main story "WORLD'S LEADERS LAUD DR. EINSTEIN: Heads of State, Scholars and Many Others Praise Him as Man and as Scientist GREAT LOSS STRESSED Eisenhower Asserts No Other Contributed So Much to New Age's Knowledge" comprised largely of statements by world leaders.

The coverage quieted down within a few days, with later stories running inside the paper and mentioning things like memorials, his intellectual legacy, and the like, including "EINSTEIN HONOR SLATED: 28-Mile-Wide Moon Crater Will Be Named After Him" New York Times 15 May 1955.

I'm sure there's an historian of science or three among us who can speak more to the broader reaction among the scientific community, but looking at a major paper like this is an easy way to get a quick look at the response. The weekly general circulation magazines would be another: Time, Life, Newsweek, Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, etc. would all provide a window on the broader appreciation of Einstein.

I haven't read more than the NYT and CNN stories on Hawking today, but based on what I've seen there was far more coverage of Einstein's death in 1955 and the level of detail (and familiarity) was strikingly deep. While Hawking was legitimately a celebrity, Einstein was one of the most famous men of the 20th century world.

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