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10 Facts and quotes from Stephen Hawking's life to mesmerise you

TNN | Last updated on - Mar 14, 2018, 15:02 IST
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1/10

On looking up...always

Legendary British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died at the age of 76 at his home in Cambridge on March 14, 2018. He was known for his path-breaking work revolving black holes and relativity and also authored several popular science books including 'A Brief History of Time' and ‘Black Holes and Baby Universes’.

2/10

On perseverance

Despite his poor grades in school, both his teachers and his peers seemed to understand that they had a future genius among them, evidenced by the fact that his nickname was "Einstein."
3/10

On silence

Hawking wanted to pursue Mathematics, while his father wanted him to pursue medicine. Due to unviability of the Mathematics in the university, he took up Physics for which he was awarded the first class honours degree in natural science on graduation.
4/10

On secret powers the universe holds

Hawkins was an excellent oarsman. Because rowing was so important and competitive at Oxford, Hawking's role on the team made him very popular. Remembering Hawking from those days, one fellow boatsman called him "the adventurous type".
5/10

On perspectives

At the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a type of motor neurone disease. ALS affects the nerves controlling voluntary movement and the doctors didn’t expect Hawking to live for more than two years after being diagnosed.
6/10

On games with God

Professor Hawking had 13 honorary degrees including CBE in 1982, Companion of Honour in 1989 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. He was also the recipient of many awards like Fundamental Physics prize in 2013, Copley Medal in 2006 and the Wolf Foundation prize in 1988. Apart from being a fellow at the Royal Society, he was also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the US National Academy of Sciences.
7/10

On perfection

In 1979 Hawking was appointed as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. The prestigious post was previosuly held by the 17th-century scientist Isaac Newton.
8/10

On destiny

In 2007, at the age of 65, Hawking put Newton's theories of gravity to the test and went on a weightless flight in the United States of America. Sharing his views on the trip he said that 'he wanted to show that disability was no bar to achievement and to encourage interest in space, where he believed humankind's destiny lay'.
9/10

On acceptance

Hawking also authored several international bestsellers which explained the fundamental theories of the universe to non-scientists. His first book ‘A Brief History of Time’ was published in 1988, followed by ‘The Universe in a Nutshell’ in 2001. He also co-authored a children’s book series with his daughter Lucy.
10/10

On the humour that is life

Hawking’s other popular books include 'Black Holes, Baby Universes and Other Essays', 'The Grand Design' and 'My Brief History'. He also did cameos in several movies and television series namely, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’, ‘The Simpsons’, and popular sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory'. Interestingly, Hawking’s distinct voice due to the computer speech synthesiser also appeared in Pink Floyd songs!

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