Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, passed away in early hours on Wednesday, a family statement informed the press.
The British Scientist survived by his children Lucy, Robert, and Tim. He was best known for his work on black holes and relativity and was 76 when he took his last breath. “He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years,” his children said in a statement.
“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 humour inspired people across the world. We will miss him forever,” the statement further added.
A rare form of motor neurone disease – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS – that he suffered from since the age of 22, left Hawking wheelchair-bound and unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser, specially created for him. The doctors then gave him just one year to survive.
Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge, Hawking was not only known for his pioneering work in the field of cosmology, but also as author of several popular science books, including the immensely popular A Brief History of Time (1992).
