Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was one of the most famous scientists of modern times. He was born in Oxford, England, in 1942. He studied black holes and the history of the universe. He did all of this while living with a serious illness.

Early Life

Hawking was a good student but not always at the top of his class. He loved science and asking big questions. He studied physics at Oxford and then Cambridge. At age 21, he was told he had a disease called ALS.

A NASA map of the early universe, the kind of cosmos Hawking studied.
A NASA map of the early universe, the kind of cosmos Hawking studied. (NASA / WMAP Science Team / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Discoveries

Hawking showed that black holes give off tiny bits of energy, now called Hawking radiation. He wrote a best-selling book called A Brief History of Time. He used a special computer and voice machine to communicate after he lost the ability to speak.

Fun Facts

  • Doctors said Hawking would only live a few years after his diagnosis, but he lived to be 76.
  • He appeared on the TV show The Simpsons and in the movie Star Trek.
  • Hawking once threw a party for time travelers, but sent the invitations after the party.

Did You Know?

Hawking's book A Brief History of Time stayed on the best-seller list for over four years. It has been translated into more than 40 languages and sold over 10 million copies.