On 14 March 2019, one of science's brightest stars went dark. Stephen Hawking, the worldfamous British scientist, died at 76 in Cambridge, the UK.
Hawking is considered to be the greatest scientist in history since Albert Einstein. He came up with the theory that the universe began with the Big Bang(大爆炸) and will end in black holes. His theories became the base for a lot of later research. He also wrote books to help common people understand the universe. His most famous book isABriefHistoryofTime,which has sold more than 10 million copies around the world.
Besides his scientific achievements, Hawking was also someone who had a strong will and optimistic attitude. When Hawking was 21, he was diagnosed(诊断) with a serious illness that stopped him from walking and talking. Later in life, he had to sit in a wheelchair and "speak" using a computerized voice. But this didn't stop him from living a meaningful and colourful life. "If one is physically disabled, one cannot afford to be psychologically(心理上) disabled as well," he once said.
Hawking travelled around the world to attend science conferences, visiting every continent, including Antarctica(南极洲). He was also a fan of pop culture and appeared on TV shows such asStarTrekandTheBigBangTheory.
He celebrated his 60th birthday by going up in a hotair balloon; when he was 65, he took part in a zerogravity flight to experience weightlessness. He hoped to travel into space one day. In 2019, Hawking spoke about how he felt life was unfair when he was first diagnosed with his illness. "But now, 50 years later, I can be quietly satisfied with my life," he said.
