Stephen William Hawking; (He was born in Oxford, January 8, one

thousand nine hundred and forty-two - and died in Cambridge, March 14,
two thousand and eighteen) He was a British theoretical physicist,
astrophysicist, cosmologist and scientific popularizer. His most important
work consisted of contributing, together with Roger Penrose, theorems
regarding space-time singularities in the framework of general relativity
and the theoretical prediction that black holes would emit radiation, which
is known today as radiation of Hawking. One of the main characteristics of
his personality was his contribution to the scientific debate, sometimes
publicly betting with other scientists. The best known case is his
participation in the discussion about the conservation of information in
black holes.

He was a member of the Royal Society of London, the Pontifical Academy

of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.
He was the holder of the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at the University
of Cambridge from one thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine until his
retirement in two thousand and nine.

Among the numerous distinctions that were awarded to him, he received

twelve honorary doctorates and was awarded the Order of the British
Empire, the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, the Copley Medal, the
Medal of Freedom and the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge
Award. .

He was married twice and had three children. Just before his first
marriage, at the age of twenty-one, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis, which worsened his condition over the years, until he was
almost completely paralyzed and forced to communicate through a voice-
generating device.