The general theory of relativity, proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915, describes how gravity affects the fabric of space and time. It suggests that massive objects, like planets and stars, warp the space around them, causing other objects to move along curved paths. This explains why planets orbit the sun and why light bends around massive bodies. The theory revolutionized our understanding of gravity, moving away from the Newtonian view of it as a force acting at a distance. It has been confirmed through various experiments and observations, such as the bending of light during a solar eclipse and the detection of gravitational waves.