World Famous Physicist, Stephen Hawking Dies At 76

Renowned Physicist, Professor Stephen Hawking has died aged 76.

His family released a statement in the early hours of Wednesday morning confirming his death at his home in Cambridge.

“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years,” Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert and Tim said in a statement.

“His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world.

“He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.’ We will miss him forever.”

The English physicist was known for his groundbreaking work with black holes and relativity — the nature of space and time.
He was the author of several popular science books including A Brief History of Time and was also the subject of Oscar winning film The Theory of Everything in 2014.

Additionally, he performed several cameos in the US comedy series The Big Bang Theory.

The famed physicist contracted motor neurone disease – a form of motor neurone disease that attacks the nerves controlling voluntary movement – in 1963 and was given two years to live.


Remarkably, the then-21-year-old defied predictions overcoming its debilitating effects on his mobility and speech that left him paralysed and able to communicate only via a computer speech synthesiser.

“I am quite often asked: how do you feel about having ALS?” he once wrote. “The answer is, not a lot.

“I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many.”
And even though he admitted to feeling like “somewhat of a tragic character” after the diagnosis, he soon returned to work, securing a fellowship at Cambridge, and married Jane Wilde, with whom he had three children.

Despite his struggles, Hawking had a razor-sharp mind and was fascinated by how the universe was formed and how it might end.

Research director of the MND Association Brian Dickie previously said most sufferers of ALS live for less than five years, which made Hawking’s achievements all the more impressive.

“The fact that Stephen Hawking has lived with the disease for close to 50 years makes him exceptional,” he said.