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. See Hawking's motor neurone disease for the fuller story.

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. For the wider picture, see what did Stephen Hawking discover.

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. The full explainer is on the Hawking radiation page.

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. The fuller version of the story is on why Stephen Hawking never won a Nobel Prize.

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. See the voice and his technology and wheelchair for the technology behind it.

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. See Hawking on God for the fuller position.

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. For some common misunderstandings, see our myths page.

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. See family and personal life.

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. The full account is at Stephen Hawking's death.

How old was Stephen Hawking when he was diagnosed?

He was 21, in his first year of postgraduate study at Cambridge in 1963. Doctors initially gave him only about two years to live. See Hawking's diagnosis.

What type of motor neurone disease did Stephen Hawking have?

A slow-progressing form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common type of motor neurone disease. Its unusually slow progression in his case is what allowed him to live for 55 years after diagnosis.

What was Stephen Hawking's IQ?

His IQ was never publicly recorded, and he never took a widely reported test. He dismissed the subject, once joking that people who boast about their IQ are losers. By any meaningful measure he was an exceptional physicist, but no reliable IQ figure exists. See myths and misconceptions.

What did Stephen Hawking study, and where?

He read physics at University College, Oxford, then moved to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, for postgraduate work in cosmology, completing his PhD in 1966. He spent most of his career at Cambridge. See education for the academic path.

Was Stephen Hawking married?

Yes, twice. He married Jane Wilde in 1965, with whom he had three children, and they divorced in 1995. He then married Elaine Mason, his former nurse; that marriage ended in 2006. See family and personal life.

What books did Stephen Hawking write?

His best-known book is A Brief History of Time (1988). He also wrote The Universe in a Nutshell, The Grand Design, Black Holes and Baby Universes, his memoir My Brief History, the posthumous Brief Answers to the Big Questions, and a children's series with his daughter Lucy. The full list is in his books.

What is Stephen Hawking most famous for?

For Hawking radiation and his work on black holes and the origin of the universe, for his bestselling book A Brief History of Time, and for achieving all of it while living with motor neurone disease for over half a century.

Did Stephen Hawking think aliens exist?

He thought alien life almost certainly exists somewhere, given the size of the universe, but he warned strongly against trying to contact it, fearing an advanced civilisation might not be friendly. See Hawking on aliens for the fuller view.

What did Stephen Hawking say about artificial intelligence?

He warned that fully developed artificial intelligence could pose a serious risk to humanity, while acknowledging it could also bring enormous benefits. His call to take AI risk seriously, once seen as fringe, is now mainstream. See Hawking on AI.

Where is Stephen Hawking buried?

His ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey in London, near the graves of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. His memorial stone is inscribed with the equation for the temperature of a black hole.

How did Stephen Hawking change physics?

He showed that black holes radiate and can evaporate, uniting gravity, quantum mechanics and thermodynamics; he proved the universe must have begun from a singularity; and he reshaped how physicists think about the origin of the cosmos and the nature of black holes. The wider picture is at his legacy today.

Reference

Stephen Hawking: Frequently Asked Questions

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

Last updated 30 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.

For common misunderstandings, see myths and misconceptions.

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. See Hawking's motor neurone disease for the fuller story.
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. For the wider picture, see what did Stephen Hawking discover.
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. The full explainer is on the Hawking radiation page.
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. The fuller version of the story is on why Stephen Hawking never won a Nobel Prize.
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. See the voice and his technology and wheelchair for the technology behind it.
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. See Hawking on God for the fuller position.
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. For some common misunderstandings, see our myths page.
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. See family and personal life.
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. The full account is at Stephen Hawking's death.
How old was Stephen Hawking when he was diagnosed?: He was 21, in his first year of postgraduate study at Cambridge in 1963. Doctors initially gave him only about two years to live. See Hawking's diagnosis.
What type of motor neurone disease did Stephen Hawking have?: A slow-progressing form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common type of motor neurone disease. Its unusually slow progression in his case is what allowed him to live for 55 years after diagnosis.
What was Stephen Hawking's IQ?: His IQ was never publicly recorded, and he never took a widely reported test. He dismissed the subject, once joking that people who boast about their IQ are losers. By any meaningful measure he was an exceptional physicist, but no reliable IQ figure exists. See myths and misconceptions.
What did Stephen Hawking study, and where?: He read physics at University College, Oxford, then moved to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, for postgraduate work in cosmology, completing his PhD in 1966. He spent most of his career at Cambridge. See education for the academic path.
Was Stephen Hawking married?: Yes, twice. He married Jane Wilde in 1965, with whom he had three children, and they divorced in 1995. He then married Elaine Mason, his former nurse; that marriage ended in 2006. See family and personal life.
What books did Stephen Hawking write?: His best-known book is A Brief History of Time (1988). He also wrote The Universe in a Nutshell, The Grand Design, Black Holes and Baby Universes, his memoir My Brief History, the posthumous Brief Answers to the Big Questions, and a children's series with his daughter Lucy. The full list is in his books.
What is Stephen Hawking most famous for?: For Hawking radiation and his work on black holes and the origin of the universe, for his bestselling book A Brief History of Time, and for achieving all of it while living with motor neurone disease for over half a century.
Did Stephen Hawking think aliens exist?: He thought alien life almost certainly exists somewhere, given the size of the universe, but he warned strongly against trying to contact it, fearing an advanced civilisation might not be friendly. See Hawking on aliens for the fuller view.
What did Stephen Hawking say about artificial intelligence?: He warned that fully developed artificial intelligence could pose a serious risk to humanity, while acknowledging it could also bring enormous benefits. His call to take AI risk seriously, once seen as fringe, is now mainstream. See Hawking on AI.
Where is Stephen Hawking buried?: His ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey in London, near the graves of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. His memorial stone is inscribed with the equation for the temperature of a black hole.
How did Stephen Hawking change physics?: He showed that black holes radiate and can evaporate, uniting gravity, quantum mechanics and thermodynamics; he proved the universe must have begun from a singularity; and he reshaped how physicists think about the origin of the cosmos and the nature of black holes. The wider picture is at his legacy today.