Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. Although his father encouraged him to pursue medicine, Hawking was drawn to mathematics and physics. He entered Oxford University in 1959 and, despite doing little formal study, quickly grasped complex concepts with ease.
His postgraduate studies at Cambridge marked a turning point. While beginning his research in cosmology, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, a condition that gradually paralyzed him. Despite these physical challenges, Hawking earned his PhD in 1966 and continued his academic work.
Hawking’s first major scientific contribution was his work on “singularities,” showing that the universe originated from an initial point of infinite density — a singularity — supporting the Big Bang theory against the steady-state model. Drawing from the works of Roger Penrose and Albert Einstein, he mathematically demonstrated that time and space had a definitive beginning.
In addition to his groundbreaking theories, Hawking became widely known through accessible books such as A Brief History of Time and Black Holes and Baby Universes. His ability to combine deep theoretical insight with clear public communication solidified his status as one of the most influential theoretical physicists of his era, inspiring both the scientific community and the general public alike.
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