Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist who overcame ALS and one of the world’s most beloved scientists, has died this morning at the age of 76. This was confirmed by his family’s spokesperson.
The statement mentioned the following words,
“It is with great sadness we announce the death of Professor Stephen Hawking CH CBE FRS FRSA at the age of 76. Professor Hawking died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of this morning. His family have kindly requested that they be given the time and privacy to mourn his passing, but they would like to thank everyone who has been by Professor Hawking’s side, and supported him throughout his life.”
Professor Stephen Hawking
Professor Stephen Hawking at the Centre of Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics, Oxford, Britain – 12 Apr 2013
Stephen Hawking was diagnosed by ALS, also known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in 1963 at the age of 21. This disease left the scientist paralyzed and he had to spend his days on a wheelchair. Hawking became dependent on technology, using a speech synthesizer to talk. When asked about his situation, Hawking mentioned on his website that he tried to lead as normal a life as possible and not think about his condition or regret the things it prevents him from doing, which are not that many. He stated that he had been lucky that his condition had progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it showed that one need not lose hope. The doctors have expected that he would only have a few years left to live but Hawking surpassed these expectations while still remaining in the top of his field.
Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England on the 8th day of January. He was known for a lot of things including his best-selling book, A Brief History of Time, which sold over 20 million copies in 20 years. His life was also presented in the famous film, The Theory of Everything.
Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert, and Tim, have mentioned the following statement,
“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. His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humor 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.”
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