And, despite his debilitating disease, Hawking was also a prolific writer, speaker, and pop-culture personality. He made it his goal to make science more accessible to everyone. Sadly, he passed away on March 14th, 2018 at the age of 76. Ready to expand your mind about one of the greatest geniuses of our time? Here are 25 Inspiring Facts About Stephen Hawking You Probably Didn’t Know.