There are many different theories out there of how the universe began and many believe in different things. Many different physicists have tried to prove the beginning of time or the existence of black holes, but none is as acclaimed as Stephen Hawking. He has had the most widespread acceptance of his theories. The question of where, when, and why the universe exists is a commonly pondered question among scientists and average humans alike. The thought of creation comes up in many religions, while at the same time some philosophers believe in evolution and hope to cancel out the thought of a creator. Of all the theories that have been brought forth, none have been proven to be correct. Some modern scientists believe this is because of how long the universe has existed and the possibility that small changes could have taken place. Stephen Hawking himself has brought forth theories of the beginning of time and then later went on to disprove himself. The history of the universe is one of the most perplexing subjects of all time. For years, people have looked up to the stars and wondered; where does it end? Where do we come from? What of time travel? We have always watched science fiction movies on these subjects and wondered; can this be true? Then came Stephen Hawking who has a mindset that is beyond today's general way of thinking. His attempts to identify a grand unification theory that unites everything we know.
Stephen W. Hawking was born on January 8, 1942, which was the 300th anniversary of Galileo's death. He is the eldest of four, born to his parents, Frank and Isobel Hawking. His family was always known as eccentric. They had bees in their basement, their car was an old London taxi cab and they made fireworks in their green house. When it came time to go to college going to Cambridge was a no brainer, for his parents both went there. His mother Isobel was one of the first women to go to Cambridge and his father was a respected medical researcher.