Perhaps the world's best-known scientist,
Stephen Hawking, who inspired an interest
in physics among millions of people, has died
at the age of 76.
His family confirmed in a statement that he
died early Wednesday morning, GMT.
Despite being diagnosed with the normally
fatal condition known as Lou Gehrig's disease,
Hawking lived for another 50 years... pursuing
what physicists call a "unified theory" of
everything.
He first came to prominence through his research
on black holes in the 1970s when he was at
Cambridge University in his home country of
England.
There he was a successor to Isaac Newton as
the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.
He became a celebrity of sorts through his
best-selling books and appearances on television
and was known also for his great wit.
Hawking's children, in their statement, said
his legacy will live on for many years.
