Stephen Hawking's Milestones
Birth
Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, to Frank and Isobel Hawking.
Birth
Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, to Frank and Isobel Hawking.
Family moved to St Albans
Moved with family to St Albans when his father became head of parasitology at the National Institute for Medical Research.
Attended St Albans School
Attended St Albans School, developed scientific interests and built a computer with friends.
Attended University College, Oxford
Studied physics at University College, Oxford, graduating with first-class honors.
Started at University College, Oxford
Began undergraduate studies in physics at University College, Oxford.
Graduated with first-class honors
Graduated from Oxford with first-class honors in physics.
Started PhD at Cambridge
Began doctoral studies in cosmology at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, under Dennis Sciama.
Diagnosed with ALS
Diagnosed with ALS at age 21 and given a short life expectancy, but continued research.
Married Jane Wilde
Married Jane Wilde, whom he met at Cambridge.
PhD awarded
Awarded PhD in applied mathematics and theoretical physics with thesis on singularities in the universe.
Research fellowship at Caius College
Received research fellowship at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
Collaborated with Roger Penrose
Collaborated with Roger Penrose on singularity theorems, contributing to Big Bang theory.
Proposed second law of black hole dynamics
Formulated the second law of black hole dynamics.
Published first book
Co-authored 'The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time' with George Ellis.
Discovered Hawking radiation
Proposed the theory of Hawking radiation, revolutionizing black hole physics.
Visiting professorship at Caltech
Appointed Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Visiting Professor at Caltech.
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society after proposing Hawking radiation.
Won Eddington and Pius XI Gold Medals
Received Eddington Medal and Pius XI Gold Medal for contributions to physics.
Appointed Professor of Gravitational Physics
Appointed Professor of Gravitational Physics at Cambridge.
Received Albert Einstein Medal
Awarded the Albert Einstein Medal.
Elected Lucasian Professor of Mathematics
Held the Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics at Cambridge University.
Proposed no-boundary universe model
Developed the Hartle–Hawking no-boundary proposal with Jim Hartle.
Published 'A Brief History of Time'
Published 'A Brief History of Time,' which became an international bestseller.
Published 'The Universe in a Nutshell'
Published 'The Universe in a Nutshell,' a popular science book.
Received Copley Medal
Awarded the Copley Medal by the Royal Society.
Published children's books with daughter Lucy
Co-authored 'George's Secret Key to the Universe' and sequels with daughter Lucy.
Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
Received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.
Retired as Lucasian Professor
Retired as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge.
Final scientific publications
Published final scientific papers on black hole entropy and cosmology.
Death
Stephen Hawking died in Cambridge, England, after a lifetime of scientific achievement.
Ashes interred at Westminster Abbey
Ashes interred at Westminster Abbey between Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.