Stephen Hawking is an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author.

He
is best known for his attempts to explain in clear terms the origins of the universe
and some of the most complicated aspects of the cosmos and physics. Hawkings
was the first scientist to offer a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the
general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.
Early life Stephen Hawking

Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. His
family had moved to Oxford to escape the threat of V2 rockets over London. As a
child he showed prodigious talents, if unorthodox study methods. On leaving
school he got a place at University College, Oxford University where he studied
Physics. His physics tutor at Oxford, Robert Berman, later said that Stephen
Hawkins was an extraordinary student. He used few books and made no notes,
but could work out theorems and solutions in a way other students couldnt.
My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is
and why it exists at all.
Stephen Hawkings Universe (1985) by John Boslough, Ch. 7

On gaining a B.A.Hons in Physics he briefly

stayed to study Astronomy but was not interested in observing sun spots so
moved to Trinity College, Cambridge where he was able to pursue his passion for
theoretical astronomy and cosmology.
It was in Cambridge that Stephen Hawking first started to develop symptoms of
neuro muscular problems a type of motor neuron disease. This quickly affected
his physical ability. His speech became slurred and he become unable to even
feed himself. At one stage, the doctors gave him a life span of three years.
However, the progress of the disease slowed down and he has managed to
overcome his severe disability to continue his research and active public
engagements. At Cambridge a fellow scientist developed a synthetic speech device
which enabled him to speak by using a touch pad. Nevertheless, it can still be a
time consuming process for him to communicate. Stephen Hawking has taken a
pragmatic view to his disability
It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life
and I havent done badly. People wont have time for you if you are always angry
or complaining. The Guardian (27 September 2005)

Stephen Hawkings principle fields of research have been involved in theoretical

cosmology and quantum gravity.
Amongst many other achievements, he developed a mathematical model for
Einsteins General Theory of Relativity. He has also undertook a lot of work on
the nature of the Universe, The Big Bang and Black Holes.
Despite being one of the best physicists of his generation, he has also been able to
translate difficult physics models into a general understanding for the general
public. His books A Brief History of Time and The Universe in A Nutshell have
both became runaway bestsellers with aBrief History of Time being in the
Bestsellers lists for over 230 weeks. In his books, Hawking tries to explain
scientific concepts in everyday language, and give an overview to the workings
behind the cosmos.
The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not
happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order,
which may or may not be divinely inspired.
A Brief History of Time (1998) ch. 8
Stephen Hawking has become one of the most famous scientists of his
generation. He makes frequent public engagements and his portrayed himself in
popular media culture from programmes such as the Simpsons to Star Trek.
He married Jane Wilde, a language student in 1965. He said this was a real
turning point for him at a time when he was fatalistic because of his illness. They
later divorced but had three children.