Stephen Hawking

 Stephen William Hawking CH CBE FRS FRSA (8 January 1942 - 14 March 2018) was an English theoretical scientist, cosmologist and writer who was when he died, demise, was director of research for the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, widely thought of as having one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world Hawking was born in Oxford into a family of physicians. In October 1959, at the age of 17, he began his studies at University College, Oxford, where he received an upper-class BA degree in Physics. In October 1962, he started his graduate work at Trinity Hall at the University of Cambridge and in March of 1966, he earned his PhD degree in applied mathematics and theoretical physics with a focus on general relativity and Cosmology. Hawking was 21 years old when he was diagnosed with an early-onset, slow-progressing motor neuron disorder. He lost his speech and began communicating through a speech-generating device. It initially utilized a hand-held device followed by it was a single cheek muscle. Hawking's work in the field of science involved an agreement on the general relativity framework and Roger Penrose's theory of how black holes emit radiation. In the beginning, Hawking radiation was controversial. The discovery of Hawking radiation was widely accepted by the public in the late 1970s after more research. Hawking was the first to propose a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He was a vigorous supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Hawking was a commercial hit with numerous popular science titles where he spoke about both his theories and Cosmology. The publication A Brief History of Time topped the Sunday Times bestseller list for an unprecedented 237 weeks. Hawking was the only Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifetime member of Pontifical Academy of Sciences and a recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian award in America. In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the BBC's survey of the 100 Greatest Britons. After battling motor neurone for over 50 years, Hawking died in 2018 at age 76.