We are into deep sadness. The great scientist passed away on 14th March 2018. He truly was a great scientist and an incredible man whose legacy will live on for many years. William Hawking’s courage, brilliance and humor inspired people across the world. He was a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and director of research. He is famous for his groundbreaking work with black holes and theory of relativity. He was the author of several popular science books including “A Brief History of Time”. It was on the best- seller list for a record 237 weeks on the British Sunday Times.
After his research on black holes, he theoretically predicted that black holes emit radiation. It is known as Hawking radiation. He performed several cameos in the US comedy series. In 1974, at the age of 32 he became one of the youngest Fellows of Britain’s most prestigious scientific body- The Royal Society. In 1979 he was appointed as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University where he had earlier gone from University College Oxford to study theoretical astronomy and cosmology. William Hawking became an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts. In 2002, William Hawking was ranked number 25 in BBC’s poll of the Greatest Britons. William Hawking was born on 8th January 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdom. He was the brightest star in the firmament of science, whose insights shaped modern cosmology and inspired global audiences in the millions.
William Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 1963 at the age of 21. Doctors expected him to live only for two more years. But William Hawking had a form of the disease that progressed more slowly than usual. He survived for more than half a century and long enough for his disability to define him. He used to say, “You were supposed to be either brilliant without effort, or accept your limitations.” He always wanted to show others that disability was no bar for achievement. ”Although there was a cloud hanging over my future, I found, to my surprise, that I was enjoying life in the present more than before. I began to make progress with my research”, Hawkins once said.
William Hawking married Jane Wilde in 1965, two years after his diagnosis, with all the innocence of her 21 years. She wrote a book in 2013 with the title, “Traveling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen”
What astounded most about him was that he always showed the power to fight and learn. And see how much he did achieve in his life! “We will miss him forever”