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Looking back on the life of legendary physicist Stephen Hawking

World-famous theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking died aged 76 after a long battle with motor neurone disease on March 14 last year

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One of the most influential scientists of the last century, Stephen William Hawking was a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge

© Public domain

Since 1960s, Hawking has been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that has gradually paralyzed him. Photo: Stephen Hawking and his first wife Jane, 1965

© flickr.com/astros

He worked on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation. Photo: Stephen Hawking at the University of Potsdam, Germany, 1999

© AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Hawking was known for several popular science books. Photo:Stephen Hawking poses with his second wife Elaine Mason, 1995

© AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Stephen Hawking enjoys zero gravity during a flight aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft, 2007

© wikimedia.org/Jim Campbell/Aero-News Network

In 1988 Hawking published the book for nonspecialist readers with no prior knowledge of scientific theories, called A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. Photo: Professor Stephen Hawking is seen with his daughter Lucy Hawking during a presentation at the The George Washington University in Washington, USA, 2008

© EPA-EFE/STEFAN ZAKLIN

Professor Stephen Hawking speaks to the press in London, Britain, 2014

© EPA-EFE/ANDY RAIN

Professor Stephen Hawking poses for photographers upon arrival for the Interstellar Live show at the Royal Albert Hall in central London, Britain

© Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File

Hawking was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Photo: USt President Barack Obama talks with Stephen Hawking, 2009

© wikimedia.org/Pete Souza

Stephen Hawking died on 14 March 2018, at the age of 76

© flickr.com/lwpkommunikacio

It's been one year since the world lost one of its brightest minds. World-famous theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking died at the age of 76 after a long battle with motor neurone disease on March 14 last year. Hawking was known for his work with black holes and relativity; he wrote several popular science books, including A Brief History of Time. Since 1960s, Hawking has been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that has gradually paralyzed him. He communicated using a single cheek muscle attached to a speech-generating device. Here are images from his extraordinary life and times.

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