Stephen William Hawking has made many notable contributions to science as a physicist in the past year and to celebrate his achievements Onlinephd.org decided to make an infographic that highlights milestones in his life.

The graphic revels to its audience that Hawking was born in England and was a slightly better than average student. He went on to attend college at Oxford University and worked on a degree in Natural Science despite the fact that math was his passion. He was immensely bored with an exclusively academic existence so he decided to join a rowing team.

When he transferred to Cambridge University to work on his Ph.D. he was diagnosed with Loe Gehrig’s disease and was told that the debilitating disease would kill him within a few years. This was not the case.

He did not let this diagnosis get in the way and he married his wife Jane and they had two children within a few years. His debilitating motor neurone disease made him a fiercer and more passionate human being. As his condition worsened he focused on matters of the mind instead of matters of the body and prioritized his research.

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Created by: OnlinePhD.org

Because of Hawking’s sharp intellect and perseverance we know that black holes are not vacuums. But what is even more inspiring is the fact that this man was able to publish 14 books, produce 6 films and series, and win over 16 awards despite the fact that he lost control of his body over the last few decades.