Stephen Hawking was born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford, England, and became one of the most renowned theoretical physicists and cosmologists of the 20th and 21st centuries. He is best known for his work on black holes, his theory of general relativity, and his groundbreaking contributions to cosmology. His most significant work includes the formulation of what is now known as Hawking radiation, which predicted that black holes could emit radiation and eventually evaporate over time, contradicting previous assumptions that nothing could escape from them.

Hawking's early education took place at St Albans School, and he later attended University College, Oxford, to study physics. Despite a lack of effort during his undergraduate years, he graduated with first-class honors in natural sciences. He then went on to study at the University of Cambridge, where he pursued research in cosmology under the supervision of Dennis Sciama.

At the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a motor neuron disease that gradually paralyzed him over the years. Despite the prognosis that he had only a few years to live, Hawking continued his research and became one of the most prominent figures in science, known for his resilience and determination. Over the years, he lost the ability to speak, but with the help of a speech-generating device, he continued to communicate and write.

In 1974, Hawking was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, one of the highest honors in the scientific community. He also held the prestigious Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics at Cambridge from 1979 to 2009, a position once held by Isaac Newton. Hawking's work primarily focused on unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics, with the goal of developing a theory of everything that would explain the universe's origins and ultimate fate.

Hawking was also a bestselling author. His book "A Brief History of Time," published in 1988, brought complex scientific concepts to the general public in an accessible way. It became an international bestseller and cemented his place as a public intellectual. His other works, including "The Universe in a Nutshell" and "The Grand Design," continued to explore the nature of the universe, time, and reality.

Throughout his life, Hawking received numerous awards and honors, although the Nobel Prize eluded him. He was widely recognized for his contributions to science and popular culture. His life and work were celebrated in the biographical film "The Theory of Everything" (2014), in which actor Eddie Redmayne portrayed him and won an Academy Award for the role.

Hawking passed away on March 14, 2018, at the age of 76. He left behind a legacy not only in the realm of theoretical physics but also as a symbol of human perseverance and intellectual curiosity. His work continues to influence scientists today as they seek to understand the universe's mysteries.

REFERENCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking