British physicist Stephen Hawking is all smiles after his flight at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral
British physicist Stephen Hawking is all smiles after his flight at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida April 26, 2007. Hawking took a flight on Thursday that gave the renowned scientist, who is confined to a wheelchair, a taste of the weightlessness of space. Reuters/Charles W Luzier

British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking passed away on Wednesday at his home in Cambridge at age 76, his children confirmed in a statement. The famed physicist was known for his revolutionary work with black holes and relativity and for writing several popular science books.

“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,” his family said in a statement to the Press Association. Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert and Tim said they will miss their father forever.

Hawking had been given no longer than two or three years to live after contracting in 1963 motor neurone disease, which attacks the nerves controlling voluntary movement. The then-21-year-old defied predictions. He had said he tried to lead as normal a life as possible without thinking about his condition. Hawking also once said that he wanted to show that disability is not a hindrance to achievement and to encourage interest in space.

Unlocking the secrets of the universe

Hawking was fascinated by the nature of the universe, why it is as it is, and why it exists at all. Much of his work centred on bringing together the nature of space and time.

When he was 32 years old, Hawking became one of the youngest fellows of the Royal Society, Britain’s most prestigious scientific body. He was appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University in 1979. The 17th-century British scientist Isaac Newton was a previous holder of the post.

Hawking has put Newton’s gravitational theories to the test in 2007. He went on a weightless flight as a prelude to a hoped-for sub-orbital spaceflight.

As an author, among his most well-known works was “A Brief History of Time.” It stayed on the Sunday Times best-sellers list for no fewer than 237 weeks.

As soon as the news of his passing broke, several people from all over the world posted messages of condolences on social media. One Twitter user said it was kind of a miraculous thing to be on Earth at the same time as Hawking. Another said his contributions shook her universe.

Aside from his work and accomplishments, among Hawking’s many profound contributions to the world was his statement, “It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.”