Stephen Hawking, the famous cosmologist who shaped our understanding of time, space, and the nature of black holes, passed away today in Cambridge, England.
Hawking had been living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) since he was diagnosed at 21, and has become an emblem of resilience and hope to differently-abled people around the world.
Here are some facts that you might not have known about this self-deprecating genius:
1. HE SHARES A BIRTHDAY WITH ANOTHER FAMOUS SCIENTIST
Hawking was born on January 8 1942. This is 300 years to the day after the death of Galileo Galilei, the brilliant Italian astronomer and physicist whose work helped to prove that the sun is at the centre of the solar system.
2. HE WASN'T ALWAYS A VERY GOOD STUDENT
According to Hawking, he only learnt to read when he was eight years old, and was not particularly successful until right at the end of his school career.