Stephen Hawking (Physicist)

Biography: Stephen Hawking made significant contributions to our understanding of black holes and the universe. He also became a well-known public figure, making complex science accessible to many people.

Hawking studied at Oxford and Cambridge universities. In 1963, at age 21, he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given two years to live. Despite this, Hawking completed his PhD at Cambridge in 1966, focusing on expanding universes.

In the 1970s, Hawking made important discoveries about black holes. He proposed that black holes emit radiation, now called Hawking radiation. In 1979, he became the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, a position once held by Isaac Newton.

Hawking wrote "A Brief History of Time" (1988), which became a bestseller. The book explained difficult scientific ideas to the general public. As his illness progressed, Hawking lost his ability to speak and began using a speech-generating device.

Later he appeared in popular TV shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1993) and "The Simpsons" (1999). Hawking was married twice, first to Jane Wilde and later to Elaine Mason. He received many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the United States.

Hawking spoke about the future of humanity and was an advocate for disability rights. He lived much longer than doctors expected, dying in 2018 at age 76. His ashes were placed in Westminster Abbey, near the graves of other famous scientists including Newton and Charles Darwin.