Stephen Hawking

Happy 66th birthday, Stephen. He was 21 when it was discovered that he was afflicted with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). His doctors said that he would not survive more than 2 or 3 years. He gradually lost the use of his arms and legs and voice and is now almost completely paralyzed. But he still carries on as a professor of mathematics at Cambridge University. He can be heard through the use of a voice synthesizer. He is a world renowned theoretical physicist. He is known for his contributions in the fields of cosmology (dealing with the origin and structure of the universe) and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes. In addition to his academic works, he has written many popular science books, including the best seller "A Brief History of Time."

Stephen, you are an inspiration to all of us.