World famous scientist Stephen Hawking has passed away at the age of 76 on Wednesday afternoon, March 14th, 2018, at his home in Cambridge, England.
Hawking, ‘The Big Bang’ theorist, had been paralysed and confined to a wheelchair for most of his adult life, after, at the age of just 21, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease which the physicist spent his life fighting.
Lucy, Robert and Tim, Professor Hawking’s children, released a statement confirming their father’s death.
“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.
“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.
“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.”
Recently Stephen had his story portrayed on the big screen by British actor Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar for the role in The Theory of Everything.
Eddie dedicate his Best Actor Academy Award win for the role to the Hawking family.
“It belongs to one exceptional family: Stephen, Jane and the Hawking children. I will be his [the Oscar’s] custodian. I will be at his beck and call. I wait on him hand and foot,” the actor said in his speech.
When Physicist Stephen Hawking joked around with David Beckham
Hawking was known for his gregarious sense of humour.
In 2015 Hawking met with David Beckham at a Google event and the two really hit it off.
Alongside a photo of Stephen’s famous speech synthesizer David revealed the cheeky message on the cosmologist’s screen which read: “I’m always being compared to you as a British icon. And sometimes you rate higher and sometimes I do.”
David seemed extremely humbled by Professor Hawking’s compliment and mused of their encounter: “It was an absolute honour to meet Professor Hawking. What he said to me was truly amazing.”
Our thoughts are with Stephen Hawking and his family at this sad time.
