World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, a long-time campaigner for LGBT rights, has died aged 76.
The British scientist was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rare form of motor neurone disease, at 21, and given two years to live.
The condition left him wheelchair-bound, able to speak only with a voice synthesiser, but over the next half-century, Hawking became world-famous as he transformed our understanding of physics.
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He died peacefully at his Cambridge home in the early hours of this morning, his family said.
In 2012, Hawking called on the government to pardon gay war hero Alan Turing , who was convicted of ‘gross indecency’ in 1952 after having sex with a man.
Turing was chemically castrated, barred from working for GCHQ, and took his own life at 41-years-old.
In an open letter, Hawking called Turing "one of the most brilliant mathematicians of the modern era" and urged then-Prime Minister David Cameron to "forgive this British hero, to whom we owe so much as a nation, and whose pioneering contribution to computer sciences remains relevant even today."
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A year later, the Queen granted Turing a posthumous pardon.
And last year, the British Government issued a pardon for men convicted of having sex with other men.
The pardon affected around 49,000 men convicted under the law.
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Hawking's book A Brief History of Time is the most successful Sunday Times best-seller of all time, holding top spot for more than five years.
His work with black holes and relativity was revolutionary, and his life was turned into the Oscar-winning film The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne.
Hawking's death was met with tributes from all over the world.
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Tim Berners-Lee, the British inventor of the world wide web, said: "We have lost a colossal mind and a wonderful spirit. Rest in peace, Stephen Hawking."
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote on Twitter: "His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake.
"But it's not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure."
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NASA's Twitter account wrote: "Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of science.
"His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring.
"May you keep flying like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014".
Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of science. His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring. May you keep flying like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014 pic.twitter.com/FeR4fd2zZ5 — NASA (@NASA) March 14, 2018
Professor James Hartle, who worked with Hawking in exploring and explaining the Big Bang, said he had a "unique" ability to "see through all the clutter in physics," the BBC has reported.
Hartle said: "My memory of him would be… first our work together as scientists and, second, as a human being whose whole story is a triumph over adversity [and] who inspired a lot of people, including me."
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In a statement, his children, Lucy, Robert and Tim, said: "We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.
"He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years."
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They spoke of his "courage and persistence" adding that his "brilliance and humour" inspired people all over the world.
They continued: "He once said: 'It would not be much of a universe if it wasn't home to the people you love.' We will miss him forever."
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