Stephen Hawking was born Jan. 8, 1942 in Oxford, England. He eventually attended Oxford University, of which his father was alumnus, and majored in physics since they did not offer mathematics. Afterwards, he got a PhD from Cambridge in cosmology and became a fellow there. After leaving the Institute of Astronomy he eventually became a professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics where he is now the director of research. He worked on many basic laws of the universe and has developed theories on black holes and the creation of the universe. Hawking has multiple publications, including worldwide bestseller “A Brief History of Time,” “The Universe in a Nutshell,” and “My Brief History,” his autobiography. His accomplishments include 12 honorary degrees and multiple awards.