World renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76.

He died peacefully in his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday, his family said.

He was known for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular science books including A Brief History of Time.

"We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today," his children said.

At the age of 22 Stephen Hawking was given only a few years to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease.

The illness left him wheelchair-bound and largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser.


In a statement his children, Lucy, Robert and Tim, said: "He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years."

They praised his "courage and persistence" and said his "brilliance and humour" 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."

Prof Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology as a union of relativity and quantum mechanics.

He also discovered that black holes leak energy and fade to nothing - a phenomenon that would later become known as Hawking radiation.


Factfile: Stephen Hawking

Born 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England
Earned place at Oxford University to read natural science in 1959, before studying for his PhD at Cambridge
By 1963, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given two years to live
Outlined his theory that black holes emit "Hawking radiation" in 1974
Published his book A Brief History of Time in 1988, which has sold more than 10 million copies
His life story was the subject of the 2014 film The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne
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The scientist gained popularity outside the academic world and appeared in several TV shows including The Simpsons, Red Dwarf and The Big Bang Theory.

He was portrayed in both TV and film - recently by Eddie Redmayne in the film The Theory of Everything which charted his rise to fame and relationship with his first wife Jane.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-43396008#click=https:///ZfW9MSXCbL

Mynd44
Dominique
Lalasticlala

Such a big bang.
But it should have come earlier.....dude was worse than a vegetable.

This is the only man who made ugly Larry King look super handsome.

Chai...RIP

So, this man is among those that made physics difficult for us by making us study what we don't even understand?

Great man...his manhood lives on

Rest on

may his soul rest in peace...

R.I.P

RIP to one of the greatest physicist of our time

The Man who cheated death.

An outstanding scientist whose disability never prevented from making ground-breaking discoveries.

He was indeed a fighter
Rip Hawkins

He was a great man

NwaAmaikpe:



Such a big bang.
But it should have come earlier.....dude was worse than a vegetable.

Even in his vegetative state, he was more productive and useful to the world than you could ever be

R. I. P great man.

He was a great scientists with a big impact in the science world even with his health challenges. Every time I watch or read about him, I have this courage to move on because he didn't give up on life after he was confine to a wheel chair.

nairavsdollars:
Great man...his manhood lives on

Kudos to him despite ill health. Never ever give up.

NwaAmaikpe:



Such a big bang.
But it should have come earlier.....dude was worse than a vegetable.

Lol he was more of an inspiration

Oh what a great loss to the scientific community

RIP

RIP

RIP one of the best.

RIP my mentor

I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.-Stephen Hawking.

My favourite Stephen Hawking's quote of all time. RIP Physics Legend.

Rest in perfect peace! This man is a true proof of God's existence. A man who science can't explain how come he is still alive. After watching The Theory of Everything, I realised dere is no excuse 4 failure.

Brilliant man, rest in peace.

Does he believe in God?.......let him find out now

nawtyme:

Even in his vegetative state, he was more productive and useful to the world than you could ever be

Chai! See finishing

Hawking.... So this man finally died.

He was a vegetable and still wouldn't shut up.

Well, any speculation he may have about life after death must be laid to rest now.