Stephen Hawking
Ethan Griffith
Fighting ALS
At the age of twenty-one, Stephen was diagnosed with ALS and was not expected to live very long. But, he is is still alive today at the age of 74.
Biography: Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. His parents' house was in north London, but during the second world war, Oxford was considered a safer place to have babies. When he was eight, his family moved to St. Albans, a town about 20 miles north of London. At the age of eleven, Stephen went to St. Albans School and then on to University College, Oxford; his father's old college. Stephen wanted to study Mathematics, although his father would have preferred medicine. Mathematics was not available at University College, so he pursued Physics instead. After three years and not very much work, he was awarded a first class honors degree in Natural Science. Stephen was diagnosed with ALS, a form of Motor Neuron Disease, shortly after his 21st birthday. At the age of 23, two years after being diagnosed, he married Jane Hawking in 1965. But, in 1995, they divorced, and Stephen married Elaine Mason, up until 2006. He is 74, alive much longer than doctors though he would be, and very healthy for his condition. In spite of being wheelchair bound and dependent on a computerized voice system for communication, Stephen Hawking continues to combine family life and his research of theoretical physics together.
"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."
"Life would be tragic if it weren't funny."
"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special."
Mini BIO - Stephen Hawking
Work Cited
"Overcoming Obstacles: Stephen Hawking Defies the ALS Odds - K12 - Learning Liftoff - Free Parenting, Education, and Homeschooling Resources." K12 Learning Liftoff Free Parenting Education and Homeschooling Resources. 08 Jan. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
"Stephen Hawking - Home." Stephen Hawking - Home. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.