Stephen William Hawking (8 January 1942 – 14 March 2018) was an English theoretical physicist , cosmologist , and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge . [ 6 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, widely viewed as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world. [ 19 ] Hawking was born in Oxford into a family of physicians. In October 1959, at the age of 17, he began his university education at University College, Oxford , where he received a first-class BA degree in physics. In October 1962, he began his graduate work at Trinity Hall, Cambridge , where, in March 1966, he obtained his PhD in applied mathematics and theoretical physics, specialising in general relativity and cosmology . In 1963, at age 21, Hawking was diagnosed with an early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neurone disease that gradually, over decades, paralysed him. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] After the loss of his speech, he communicated through a speech-generating device , initially through use of a handheld switch, and eventually by using a single cheek muscle. [ 22 ] Hawking’s scientific works included a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation . Initially, Hawking radiation was controversial. By the late 1970s, and following the publication of further research, the discovery was widely accepted as a major breakthrough in theoretical physics. Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics . Hawking was a vigorous supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. [ 23 ] [ 24 ] He also introduced the notion of a micro black hole . [ 25 ] Hawking achieved commercial success with several works of popular science in which he discussed his theories and cosmology in general. His book A Brief History of Time appeared on the Sunday Times bestseller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Hawking was a Fellow of the Royal Society , a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences , and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the highest civilian award in the United States. In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the BBC ‘s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons . He died in 2018 at the age of 76, having lived more than 50 years following his diagnosis of motor neurone disease. [ 26 ] Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 [ 27 ] [ 28 ] in Oxford to Frank and Isobel Eileen Hawking ( née Walker). [ 29 ] [ 30 ] Hawking’s mother was born into a family of doctors in Glasgow , Scotland. [ 31 ] [ 32 ] His wealthy paternal great-grandfather, from Yorkshire , over-extended himself buying farm land and then went bankrupt in the great agricultural depression during the early 20th century. [ 32 ] His paternal great-grandmother saved the family from financial ruin by opening a school in their home. [ 32 ] Despite their families’ financial constraints, both parents attended the University of Oxford , where Frank read medicine and Isobel read Philosophy, Politics and Economics . [ 30 ] Isobel worked as a secretary for a medical research institute, and Frank was a medical researcher specialising in tropical diseases . [ 26 ] Hawking said of his father, “I modelled myself on him. Because he was a scientific researcher, I felt that scientific research was the natural thing to do when one grew up. The only difference was that I was not attracted to medicine or biology because they seemed too inexact and descriptive. I wanted something more fundamental, and I found it in physics.” [ 33 ] In 1950, when Hawking’s father became head of the division of parasitology at the National Institute for Medical Research , the family moved to St Albans , Hertfordshire. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] In St Albans, the family was considered highly intelligent and somewhat eccentric; [ 34 ] [ 36 ] meals were often spent with each person silently reading a book. [ 34 ] They lived a frugal existence in a large, cluttered, and poorly maintained house and travelled in a converted London taxicab. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] During one of Hawking’s father’s frequent absences working in Africa, [ 39 ] the rest of the family spent four months in Mallorca visiting his mother’s friend Beryl and her husband, the poet Robert Graves . [ 40 ] Hawking began his schooling at the Byron House School in Highgate , London. He later blamed its ” progressive methods ” for his failure to learn to read while at the school. [ 41 ] [ 34 ] In St Albans, the eight-year-old Hawking attended St Albans High School for Girls for a few months. At that time, younger boys could attend one of the houses. [ 40 ] [ 42 ] Hawking attended two private (i.e.
Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking