Physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76

British physicist Stephen Hawking, who dedicated his life to explaining some of the most complex questions about life and the universe, has died age 76.

Hawking died peacefully at his home in Cambridge, UK, in the early hours of Wednesday, said a family spokesman.

"We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today," his children Lucy, Robert, and Tim said in a statement.

Hawking's work ranged from the origins of the universe itself to the mysteries of black holes in space and relativity. One of his popular science books, 'A Brief History of Time', stayed on the Sunday Times best-sellers list for no fewer than 237 weeks. The sub-molecular world of quantum theory can predict what happens at the beginning and end of time, he once said.
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