Existing comment:
Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist, passed on March 14, 2018 (which, coincidentally, was Albert Einstein's birthday). His award-winning "A Brief History of Time" was published in 1988. Suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), he was able to communicate using a single cheek muscle attached to a speech-generating device. He's shown here on February 14, 2005 at a Smithsonian event where he was awarded a Smithson Bicentennial Medal. He's with his second wife Elaine Mason. At this time, there were family rumors that he was being physically abused by her but he refused to make a complaint. They divorced in 2006. His pin says "Happy Valentine's Day". |