Early this morning, March 14, a beloved physicist lost his fight to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a degenerative disease that attacks your nervous system. He was 76 years old and passed away peacefully at his home in Cambridge, England.

Stephen Hawking was a famous and inspiring author, with a high IQ and lots of wit. He informed the world about his ideas of the universe and how it worked. The evidence he collected about black holes, and how the “big bang” occurred were published in many books. His best selling copy “A Brief History of Time” was first published in 1988.

Stephen Hawking was first diagnosed with ALS at age 1963 and he was not expected to live for more than three years. However, he defied all odds, and he continued to live a great life for more than 50 years after his diagnosis.