Stephen Hawking has sadly passed away at the age of 79 on Wednesday morning (March 14) in his home in Cambridge, England, his family confirms.
“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years,” Stephen‘s family said in a statement. “His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world. He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.’ We will miss him forever.”
Considered to be the world’s greatest living scientist, Stephen was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, at the age of 21 in 1963, and doctors only expected him only live for several more years, but defied the odds and lived for several more decades.
Stephen – along with fellow physicist Roger Penrose – merged Albert Einstein‘s theory of relativity with quantum theory suggest that space and time would begin with the Big Bang and end in black holes.
Our thoughts are with Stephen’s family at this time.