Famed Physicist Stephen Hawking Dies Peacefully at 76

Early Wednesday morning, Stephen Hawking died peacefully at his home in Cambridge, England. He was 76. His family issued a statement saying, "He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years.

"His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humor inspired people across the world. He once said, 'It would not be much of a universe if it wasn't home to the people you love.' We will miss him forever."

Professor Hawking was one of the most famous scientists in the world, despite suffering from a neurological disease that left him unable to speak or use his limbs. Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for playing him in the movie "The Theory of Everything".

He also wrote the best-selling book "A Brief History of Time". A friend and fellow scientist says Hawking once called it the "least-read, most-bought book ever."