Stephen Hawking dies aged 76




Media captionNick Higham looks back at Professor Stephen Hawking's life

Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76, his family has said.
The British physicist was known for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular science books including A Brief History of Time.
"We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today," a family statement said.
At the age of 22 Stephen Hawking was given only a few years to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease.
The illness left him wheelchair-bound and largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser.