Renowned for his groundbreaking research into black holes and relativity, Hawking first found fame as an author of several revolutionary books that attempted to explain the basic principals of physics in a way that could be easily grasped by laymen. The news of Hawking’s death was first reported by The BBC. He is survived by three children – Lucy, Robert and Tim – who released a brief statement regarding their father’s passing. “We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.