Stephen Hawking, the famous theoretical physicist who changed the way we think about black holes and cosmology while living with motor neuron disease, is the most important person in history who was born on January 8. Full Name: Stephen William Hawking; Job: Theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, and public science communicator; Born on January 8, 1942, in the United Kingdom; Place of birth: Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom; Generation: Silent Generation (born during World War II); Chinese Zodiac: Water Horse (1942); Zodiac Sign: Capricorn; Age in 2026: 84 (deceased); Married twice: first to Jane Wilde Hawking (1965–1995) and then to Elaine Mason (1995–2006). In both cases, divorce proceedings were started. Three kids: Robert, Lucy, and Timothy Hawking. Stephen Hawking became one of the most renowned scientists in history by combining general relativity and quantum theory to study black holes and the beginning of the universe. He did these activities even though he was almost completely paralyzed and had to use a speech-generating device because of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a young researcher at Cambridge, he came up with the idea of Hawking radiation, which showed that black holes can give off thermal radiation and slowly disappear. This groundbreaking discovery linked thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and gravity, forcing physicists to investigate what the information paradox meant. His book A Brief History of Time (1988) became a bestseller and introduced many people to the ideas of Big Bang cosmology, singularities, and the arrow of time. It stayed on bestseller lists for years and made him a global pop culture icon. His wheelchair, computerized voice, and sharp wit were seen in documentaries, The Simpsons, and other shows. Hawking worked with Roger Penrose on the singularity theorems, did research in quantum cosmology and the no-boundary proposal for the early universe, and kept writing scholarly works and popular novels even though he had serious disabilities that made it hard for him to communicate. He received many honors, such as the Copley Medal from the Royal Society, the Wolf Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and many honorary doctorates. However, he never won a Nobel Prize because Hawking radiation has not yet been proven to be true. In addition to his technical work, he used his fame to promote science education, fight for the rights of people with disabilities, and get people talking about existential threats like climate change, nuclear war, and uncontrolled artificial intelligence. His ideas changed how people thought about the future of humanity and the universe. Cause of Death: Died on March 14, 2018, in Cambridge, England, because of problems related to his long-term motor neuron disease/ALS. He had lived with the disease for more than 50 years.