Stephen Hawking was an English scientist, mathematician, theorist, physicist and cosmologist who is widely celebrated around the world for his genius intelligence, his wit, his wisdom, and his positive and optimistic nature. Hawking is famous for his incredible contributions to cosmology and quantum physics, and one of his most notable discoveries is the discovery that black holes emit heat, which is known in science as Hawking radiation. He also wrote several books in which he expressed his personal views and opinions on many subjects such as the existence of God (he was an atheist), the future of humanity, politics (he supported the Labour Party), artificial intelligence, aliens, the complexity of time and space, and many more subjects. He also appeared in various lectures, on television, on radio shows, and even in documentaries. In 1963, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which paralyzed him and limited his speech; thus, he used a speech-generating device to communicate with people.

Despite the challenges that came with the disease, Hawking lived a full and happy life with his family. He died last year, at the age of 76, leaving behind an invaluable legacy. Shortly after his passing, Hawking's 1966 doctoral thesis “Properties of expanding universes” was published online, and millions of people rushed to read it, eager to learn more from the late scientist.