Stephen Hawking | 160

Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist and author who also wrote the book, A Brief History of Time. He was a director at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge at the time of his passing due to Lou Gehrig’s disease. Hawking was born into a family of doctors and was reported to have an IQ score of 160. He began his university education at University College, Oxford in October 1959 at the age of 17.

There he earned an honors degree in physics and obtained his Ph. D. degree in theoretical physics. He also earned an honors degree in applied mathematics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. His scientific contributions include theorizing the existence of black-body radiation thought to be emitted by black holes – now known as “Hawking radiation”. Did you know that he also once made an appearance on The Big Bang Theory?