British physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76 overnight, following a confirmation statement by his family.
The genius physicist was known for his groundbreaking work with black holes and relativity, and was the author of several popular science books.
In 1963, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given two years to live.
His children, Lucy, Robert and Tim, said: “We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.
In 2014 his life story was the subject of a film The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne.
“He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years.”
