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Stephen Hawking

What is stephen hawking?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Full name Stephen William Hawking[1]
Born 8 January 1942, Oxford, England[1]
Died 14 March 2018[1]
Roles Theoretical physicist; cosmologist; author[1]
Academic post Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge[1]

Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author, best known for his work on black holes and cosmology, and for his bestselling book *A Brief History of Time* [2]. He was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England, and died on 14 March 2018 [1].

Context

Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author [2]. He is best known for his research on black holes and cosmology, and for his popular science books, especially *A Brief History of Time* [2]. He was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England, and died on 14 March 2018 [1]. At age 22, he was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease [3]. He held the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge [1].

Documented claims

  • Hawking proposed that black holes emit subatomic particles, now known as Hawking radiation [2].
  • His book *A Brief History of Time* was published in 1988 and became a bestseller [2].

Questions and answers

What is Stephen Hawking actually famous for?

He is famous for his work on black holes and cosmology, and for proposing that black holes emit radiation, now called Hawking radiation [2]. He also wrote the bestselling book *A Brief History of Time* [2].

At what age did Stephen Hawking become paralyzed?

He was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease at age 22 [3].

Who has a higher IQ, Einstein or Hawking?

The sources do not provide IQ scores for either Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein.

Sources

  1. Stephen Hawking - Black Hole Initiative — bhi.fas.harvard.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Stephen Hawking (1942 - 2018) - Biography — mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Stephen Hawking: A life in pictures — bbc.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in People