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10 facts about Stephen Hawking you might not have known before!

Interested in sciences or not, there is absolutely no one who has not heard about the visionary and renowned physicist Stephen Hawking. Hawking was born in Oxford England and was affected by the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), and Lou Gehrig's disease. Despite this, he is one of the most acclaimed physicists in the world. Apart from his ground-breaking advancements in cosmology, here are 10 facts about Hawking you probably did not know-

His birth was in a safe place

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Hawking was born during World War II to Frank & Isobel Hawking. His parents moved to Oxford as it was considered a safe place during those times for birth of a child.

Galileo Galilei and Hawking

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Hawking’s birthday falls on January 8. He was born in 1942, the year and date are same as that of the death anniversary of the renowned astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei.

Connection to Einstein.

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During his school days, Hawking was known as Einstein by his fellow mates.

A computer enthusiast.

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During his days at the St. Albans High School, Hawking along with a group of friends and his Mathematics teacher Dikran Tahta built a computer with spare parts of a clock, some recycled materials, and an old telephone switchboard.

Not just a nerd!

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Hawking, unlike the popular misconception, was not at all nerdy. He was in fact quite adventurous in his youth and was also on the rowing team at the University College, Oxford.

A romantic at heart.

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During his Ph.D. at the Cambridge University, Hawking fell in love! He fell in love with Jane Wilde who was his sister’s friend. The duo got married and had three kids. Unfortunately, the marriage ended after 30 years.

Only 2 years left!

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At the age of 21, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and was given an ultimatum of 2 years of life left by the doctors.

The study was in the genes.

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Hawking was born to a very well educated and elite family. Both his parents, father Frank Hawking and mother Isobel Hawking attended the Oxford University. He has three siblings- two sisters and an adopted brother. It is said the family often spent their meals quietly reading a book.

Why was his speech American?

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Although British, the mechanical voice in his speech synthesizer had an American accent so his speech seemed that way.

PI Day and his Death

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It must be quiet a co-incidence that Hawking died on 14th March 2018 during early hours which is the universal Pi Day. It marks the 30th anniversary of Pi, a day meant for celebrating the mathematical constant Pi.

Stay tuned for more.