Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking is a world-renowned theoretical physicist and mathematician. Hawking is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge, a post he has held since 1979.

Media sources reported on April 20, 2009, that Hawking was admitted to the Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge after suffering from a chest infection for the past several weeks. He was said to be "very ill."MSNBC: Stephen Hawking hospitalized, reported very ill (April 20, 2009) News agencies reported on April 21st, that Hawking is improving and is expected to make a "full recovery."Guardian: Stephen Hawking expected to make full recovery (April 21, 2009)

When black holes were first theorized, it was believed that all matter and energy that entered black holes was lost forever. However, Hawking predicted that black holes actually emit radiation. Subsequent research has shown that this theory is likely to be correct. The radiation has been named Hawking Radiation. Scientists believe that the facility known as the Large Hadron Collider, which will come online in the fall of 2008, will be able to test the theory of Hawking Radiation.

• January 8, 1942: Born Oxford, England

• 1962: Attains B.A. from Oxford University

• 1963: Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease

• 1979: Becomes Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge

• 1988: Publishes A Brief History of Time

• 2007: Experiences weightlessness on zero-gravity jet

• The Land Salmon: Stephen Hawking's Quotations (January 22, 2008)