Stephen Hawking was well-known for both his hypothesis on black holes and his struggle with ALS. The wheelchair-bound scientist, who passed away on March 14 at the age of 76, became a poster boy for managing a crippling illness.
By Julie Vargo, a Contributing Editor

In addition to his cosmic brilliance and black hole theory, Stephen Hawking was well-known for his lifelong struggle with ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The bright, wheelchair-bound scientist, who passed away on March 14 at the age of 76, unintentionally became a poster boy for managing a crippling illness.