And the Black Hole has claimed an incredible genius who defied the odds!

I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first - Steve Hawking, 2011.

Image gotten from BBC

---

Steve Hawking is no more, gone to be with the stars. The incredible British genius is burnt out!

• Lucasian professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University (1979-2009) ✔.

• Defied the doctors who gave him 2 years to live after diagnosing him with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or Motor Neurone disease at the age of 22 to live for 50+ extra years ✔.

• First quadriplegic to experience zero gravity ✔.

• Propounded the Hawking Radiation ✔.

• Most viewed PhD thesis ever! ✔ . After making his 134-paged thesis public, the publications section of the Cambridge University website crashed!

• Turned down the knighthood by the the British government because he didn't like how they funded science ✔.

• Author of the most popular book never read (as he calls it); his "A Brief History Of Time" has sold 10 million copies; a select few have ever read it to the end. One of the most complex books to ever be a bestseller; stayed on the list for a record 237 weeks!✔

• Married twice! That man was hot stuff!✔

• A man with a great sense of humor.

The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognised. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away", 2006.

• Was a renowned daredevil, who loved the adrenaline rush!✔

• At least, 12 honorary degrees to his name, and several individual honors including the CBE (Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a major honor for a British citizen and one rank below knighthood) as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US's highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.

---

Tributes have flown in from across the globe..

• The crew of the Big Bang Theory

• NASA

• Cambridge University

• 10, Downing Street.

• Sheer Class!

REFERENCES

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking

• https://www.biography.com/.amp/people/stephen-hawking-9331710

• https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/03/14/health/stephen-hawking-dead/index.html

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-43396008?__twitter_impression=true

• All other photos were gotten from twitter