Celebrating a legend: Quotes and facts about Stephen Hawking on his 75th birthday!

New Delhi: January 8 marks the 75th birthday of one of the most recognized faces in the field of science, renowned British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.

Born in 1942, Hawking is known as one of the biggest pioneers of science – his life and work fascinating people for decades.

Diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, more than half a century ago, Hawking has garnered many achievements to his name, including beating the odds of survival with his medical condition.

Given just 10 years to live at the time of his diagnosis, Stephen Hawking defied that and has gone on to live in excess of five times that figure, inspiring many people across the globe.

Celebrating his inspirational life, we give you some super awesome quotes and facts about the living legend.

Quotes:

1. “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”

2. “My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn't prevent you doing well, and don't regret the things it interferes with. Don't be disabled in spirit as well as physically.”

3. “I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.”

4. “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”

5. “Life would be tragic if it weren't funny.”

Facts:

1. Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford and grew up in St Albans, as the eldest of four siblings. His father was a research biologist and his mother was a medical research secretary. His birth date is the 300th anniversary of the death of physicist Galileo Galilei.

2. Hawking has twelve honorary degrees, was awarded the CBE in 1982 and is a Fellow of The Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Science.

3. Hawking has estimated that he studied about a thousand hours during his three years at Oxford. These unimpressive study habits made sitting his finals a challenge, and he decided to answer only theoretical physics questions rather than those requiring factual knowledge.

4. Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease, at the age of 21. He has a rare, slow-progressing form of ALS, which has gradually paralysed him over the decades.

5. Hawking's 1988 book A Brief History of Time became a bestseller and sold more than 10 million copies in 20 years. It was on the Sunday Times bestseller list for more than four years.

6. In 2002, Hawking was ranked number 25 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.

7. In 2009, Hawking was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.