Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical astrophysicist and cosmologist known for his work on black holes and the nature of the universe. He served as director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge, contributing significantly to the field of theoretical physics. From 1979 to 2009, Hawking held the Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics at Cambridge, a position recognized for its academic distinction. He was also an accomplished author, sharing complex scientific ideas with a broad audience through his books and lectures.