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Remembering Stephen Hawking

The groundbreaking astrophysicist died at the age of 76

March 2018
By Jennifer Hackett
Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Stephen Hawking presenting at an event about space exploration in New York City in 2016.

Stephen Hawking, one of the world's most famous scientists, died Wednesday. Hawking was an astrophysicist who studied cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the universe. In addition to his research prowess, Hawking wrote popular books about cosmology for the public. For many, he was the first person to come to mind when asked to name a scientist.

Hawking entered graduate school at Cambridge University in England in 1962. He began studying gravity and its role in the structure of the universe. Gravity is the force that attracts objects to one another. Gravity is especially strong in areas of space called black holes, which Hawking spent much of his life studying. The gravity in a black hole is so powerful that nothing—not even light—can escape from it.

When Hawking was in school, astronomers had predicted the existence of black holes. They believed that a black hole would form when a star exploded and then collapsed in on itself. But no one had ever seen a black hole through a telescope. It wasn't until the 1970s that astronomers found evidence that black holes were in the universe. Hawking’s work helped scientists better understand this unusual space phenomenon.

Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images

An illustration of what a black hole may look like.

Living With ALS

When he was 21, Hawking was diagnosed with a disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It’s also called Lou Gehrig’s disease after a famous baseball player who died of the disease in 1941. ALS destroys nerve cells that help control muscle movement.

Doctors told Hawking he would live for just two more years. He went on to live for another 55 years, until the age of 76. For most of his life, Hawking used a wheelchair to get around. This led Hawking and his wife, Jane, to advocate for better accessibility for those with physical challenges at Cambridge University, where he was a professor.

Because of his illness, Hawking eventually lost the use of his vocal cords. He used a computer software program to communicate. He would select words on a screen that would then be said aloud by the computer program.

A Giant of Science

Unlike most scientists, Hawking became a household name. One reason he was so well-known is that he wanted to share what he learned with everyone, not just other scientists. He wrote many science books about his research and about the history of cosmology. His first book, A Brief History of Time, has sold more than 10 million copies since it was published in 1988. It is one of the most read books about science in the world.

Hawking also made guest appearances on many television shows. He appeared in four episodes of The Simpsons and in guest spots on The Big Bang Theory and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Dozens of other movies, TV shows, and comics have referred to him or his research.

For many scientists and students, Hawking was a source of inspiration. “Not since Albert Einstein has a scientist so captured the public imagination and [been admired by] tens of millions of people around the world,” said Michio Kaku, a physicist at the City University of New York in an interview.

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