Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was born to Frank and Isobel Hawking in Oxford, England. His father was a medical researcher and his mother was a secretary who had a passion for politics and education.

At the age of 17, Hawking began his undergraduate studies at University College, Oxford, where he focused on physics and mathematics, despite his father's desire for him to study medicine.

Hawking graduated from University College, Oxford, with a first-class honors degree in natural science, setting the stage for his advanced studies in cosmology.

Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a motor neuron disease, and given only two and a half years to live. Despite this, he continued his academic pursuits.

Hawking completed his PhD in applied mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University, focusing on singularities and the Big Bang theory, under the supervision of Dennis Sciama.

Hawking married Jane Wilde, a languages undergraduate from Westfield College, London. Their relationship provided emotional support and stability during his early academic years.

Hawking, along with Roger Penrose, published a groundbreaking paper that proved the area theorem for black holes, a significant contribution to the field of theoretical physics.

Hawking proposed that black holes emit radiation, now known as Hawking radiation, challenging the prevailing belief that nothing can escape a black hole's gravitational pull.

Hawking was appointed the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, a position previously held by Sir Isaac Newton, cementing his status as one of the world's leading scientists.

Hawking's popular science book, 'A Brief History of Time,' became an international bestseller, making complex scientific concepts accessible to a wide audience and earning him global recognition.

After 30 years of marriage, Hawking and Jane Wilde divorced. Hawking later married Elaine Mason, his former nurse, in 1995, but they also divorced in 2006.

Stephen Hawking died at his home in Cambridge, England, leaving behind a profound legacy in theoretical physics and a lasting impact on popular science communication.