- Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died exactly one year ago, on March 14, 2018.
- In his later years, Hawking could only “speak” through eye-tracking software due to a neurodegenerative disease.
- Hawking shared many carefully considered, insightful, and inspirational quotes and ideas throughout his life.
Stephen Hawking – a theoretical physicist, luminary, author, and many other things – died on March 14, 2018, a year ago today. By coincidence, the day is also Albert Einstein’s birthday and a quirky mathematical holiday known as Pi Day.
In passing, Hawking left behind an incredible legacy for a human beings on Earth. He pioneered new understandings of basic physics, mysterious black holes, and the cosmos at large. What’s more, he did so while struggling with a severe neurodegenerative disease that confined him to a wheelchair for the vast majority of his life.
The world-renowned scientist carefully contemplated and composed his thoughts with a special eye-tracking computer, and those words (many of them humorous) continue to inspire generations of people who were curious about how the universe works, where it came from, and where it may be headed.
Hawking supplied no shortage of remarkable insights about life, love, and science. Below, we’ve done our best to collect the most memorable things he said in his books, essays, interviews, TV show appearances, and more.
This story has been updated. It was originally published on March 17, 2018.
Kevin Loria contributed to this post.
On coping with his disability:
On his life outlook:
On science and religion:
On the place of humans in the cosmos:
On his diagnosis with ALS:
On perfection and making mistakes:
On the purpose of intelligence:
On what Albert Einstein said about black holes:
On the future of humanity:
On not giving up:
On the perils of scientific discovery:
On intelligence quotients (IQ):
On the existence of multiple universes:
Source: "Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places"/CuriosityStream
On death:
On heaven and an afterlife:
Remembering Stephen Hawking:
- These 15 photos show how Stephen Hawking defied his disability and lived an incredible life
- Stephen Hawking died on a day that is cosmically connected to Albert Einstein and Pi
- Stephen Hawking was only expected to live a few years after being diagnosed with ALS at age 21 - here's what the disease is
- The man who helped Stephen Hawking achieve his lifelong dream of experiencing zero gravity remembers what it was like to watch the acclaimed physicist break free of his wheelchair
- Stephen Hawking was rumored to run over the toes of people he didn't like with his wheelchair