Stephen William Hawkins, one of the greatest researchers of the modern world, left an indelible mark on the field of science. An incredible physicist, mathematicians and cosmologist, and an extraordinary human, whatever steps he took, made the world take notice. A Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge until his death, Hawking won numerous honours during his lifetime. Plagued with motor neuron disease for the majority of his life, the champion scholar never let it come in his way of achievements. As he gradually lost speech, he communicated with a device and a handheld switch. March 14th marks the death anniversary of Stephen Hawking, and to commemorate his legacy, we have come up with seven interesting facts about his life.

1. Stephen Hawking received his BA (Hons) degree in physics from University College Oxford; he began his doctoral life at Cambridge. It was at Cambridge that his tryst with motor neurone disease began, and despite thinking of giving up early on, Stephen Hawking gradually learned to live with it.

2. One of his first works was the Singularity Theorem that stated the universe might have evolved from a single entity. Over the years, he came up with the second law of black hole dynamics, the four laws of black hole mechanics and in 1974 postulated that black hole emits radiations, known today as the Hawking Radiation.

3. Stephen Hawking was also an eminent author, and his book A Brief History of Time was a bestseller for 237 weeks. It has sold more than 10 million copies since its publication in 1988.

4. His other notable works included The Universe in a Nutshell, and God Created the Integers.

5. Stephen Hawking won numerous awards during his lifetime, including the lifetime achievement award at the 2016 Pride of Britain Awards. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society ( FRS) and a recipient of the President Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian award.

6. The eminent scientist appeared in shows like The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory while also being a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

7. Eddie Redmayne played the role of Stephen Hawking in the 2014 film ‘The Theory of Everything’, which depicted his early life. The actor went on to claim an Oscar for his brilliant performance.

Stephen Hawking not only had an extraordinary mind, but he showed the world that nothing could stop a man who is determined to succeed despite the odds stacked up against him.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2021 08:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).