How long did Stephen Hawking live with motor neurone disease?

Fifty-five years. He was diagnosed in 1963 at the age of 21 and died in 2018, aged 76, an exceptionally long survival for a disease that usually proves fatal within two to five years.

What did Stephen Hawking discover?

His most important discovery is Hawking radiation: the prediction that black holes are not completely black but slowly emit radiation and can eventually evaporate. He also proved, with Roger Penrose, that the universe must have begun from a singularity.

What is Hawking radiation in simple terms?

It is a faint glow that black holes give off because of quantum effects near their edge. It means a black hole is not perfectly black, has a real temperature, and very slowly loses mass over time, so it can eventually evaporate.

Why didn't Stephen Hawking win a Nobel Prize?

The Nobel Prize in Physics generally requires experimental confirmation. Hawking radiation has never been directly observed, because for real black holes it is far too faint to detect, so his central prediction remains unverified.

How did Stephen Hawking speak?

After losing his voice to a tracheotomy in 1985, he used a computerised speech synthesiser, selecting words with movements of a single cheek muscle. He kept its distinctive American-accented robotic voice for the rest of his life, even when newer voices were available.

Did Stephen Hawking believe in God?

No. Although he often used 'the mind of God' as a metaphor for the laws of physics, he was clear that he did not believe in a personal God, and argued in The Grand Design that the laws of physics make a creator unnecessary.

Was Stephen Hawking the smartest person who ever lived, and what was his IQ?

He was one of the most brilliant physicists of his era, but such comparisons are not meaningful, and his IQ was never publicly recorded. Hawking himself dismissed boasting about IQ, once joking that people who brag about it are losers.

How many children did Stephen Hawking have?

Three: Robert, Lucy and Timothy, from his first marriage to Jane Wilde. His daughter Lucy became a writer and co-authored a series of children's books with him.

When and how did Stephen Hawking die?

He died peacefully at home in Cambridge on 14 March 2018, aged 76. The date was both Pi Day and the anniversary of Einstein's birth. His ashes were interred at Westminster Abbey, between the graves of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

Stephen Hawking: Frequently Asked Questions

Quick, direct answers to the most common questions about Stephen Hawking's life, illness, beliefs and science.

Last updated 23 May 2026 · How we research

Short, direct answers to the questions people most often ask about Stephen Hawking. Each draws on the fuller pages across this site, which are linked throughout.

How long did Stephen Hawking live with motor neurone disease?: Fifty-five years. He was diagnosed in 1963 at the age of 21 and died in 2018, aged 76, an exceptionally long survival for a disease that usually proves fatal within two to five years.
What did Stephen Hawking discover?: His most important discovery is Hawking radiation: the prediction that black holes are not completely black but slowly emit radiation and can eventually evaporate. He also proved, with Roger Penrose, that the universe must have begun from a singularity.
What is Hawking radiation in simple terms?: It is a faint glow that black holes give off because of quantum effects near their edge. It means a black hole is not perfectly black, has a real temperature, and very slowly loses mass over time, so it can eventually evaporate.
Why didn't Stephen Hawking win a Nobel Prize?: The Nobel Prize in Physics generally requires experimental confirmation. Hawking radiation has never been directly observed, because for real black holes it is far too faint to detect, so his central prediction remains unverified.
How did Stephen Hawking speak?: After losing his voice to a tracheotomy in 1985, he used a computerised speech synthesiser, selecting words with movements of a single cheek muscle. He kept its distinctive American-accented robotic voice for the rest of his life, even when newer voices were available.
Did Stephen Hawking believe in God?: No. Although he often used 'the mind of God' as a metaphor for the laws of physics, he was clear that he did not believe in a personal God, and argued in The Grand Design that the laws of physics make a creator unnecessary.
Was Stephen Hawking the smartest person who ever lived, and what was his IQ?: He was one of the most brilliant physicists of his era, but such comparisons are not meaningful, and his IQ was never publicly recorded. Hawking himself dismissed boasting about IQ, once joking that people who brag about it are losers.
How many children did Stephen Hawking have?: Three: Robert, Lucy and Timothy, from his first marriage to Jane Wilde. His daughter Lucy became a writer and co-authored a series of children's books with him.
When and how did Stephen Hawking die?: He died peacefully at home in Cambridge on 14 March 2018, aged 76. The date was both Pi Day and the anniversary of Einstein's birth. His ashes were interred at Westminster Abbey, between the graves of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.