Stephen Hawking
Awards & Honours
18
Awards Won
7
Honours
7
Rankings
6
Covers
3
Records
Stephen Hawking's achievements are extraordinary not only for their scientific impact but for their cultural reach. He won the Wolf Prize in Physics, the Copley Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many others. His book A Brief History of Time set a Guinness World Record for most weeks on a bestseller list. He was ranked #1 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Thinkers of All Time. His ability to communicate complex ideas to the public made him a global ambassador for science. His life story, marked by resilience against ALS, inspired millions. The Stephen Hawking Foundation continues his legacy, funding research and public outreach.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
Elected for his contributions to theoretical physics and cosmology.
Lifetime Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Appointed as a lifetime member for his scientific work.
Companion of Honour (CH)
One of the UK's highest honours, awarded for his services to science.
Key to the City of St. Albans
Awarded in recognition of his achievements and connection to the city.
Guinness World Record
A Brief History of Time spent the most weeks (237) on a bestseller list.
Asteroid 7672 Hawking
An asteroid named in his honor.
Stephen Hawking Building
A building at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology named after him.
Rankings & Lists
100 Greatest Britons
Time 100 Most Influential People
Time 100 Most Influential People
Time 100 Most Influential People
50 Most Influential Figures of the 21st Century
100 Greatest Thinkers of All Time
Top 100 Most Influential People in Science
Magazine Covers
Time
1988-02-29
Stephen Hawking: Universe in a Nutshell
Time
2008-09-01
The Universe According to Hawking
Rolling Stone
2012-11-08
Stephen Hawking: The Last Interview
New Scientist
2018-03-14
Stephen Hawking: 1942–2018
Vanity Fair
2015-12-01
The Mind of Stephen Hawking
GQ
2013-11-01
Stephen Hawking: The Man Who Defied the Odds
Records & Feats
Longest-running #1 bestseller for a science book
A Brief History of Time spent 237 weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list, a record for a science book.
First to propose black hole evaporation (Hawking radiation)
In 1974, Hawking theorized that black holes emit radiation and eventually evaporate, a groundbreaking idea in physics.
Lived over 50 years with ALS diagnosis
Diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 1963 and given two years to live, he survived until 2018, defying medical expectations.