World renowned Cambridge University physicist Stephen Hawking died early Wednesday at the age of 76 in his home in Cambridge, England, after his life-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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Hawking was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 1963, at age 21, and was given a life expecancy of two years at the time. Though Hawking became gradually paralyzed, his disability didn't stop him from exploring the origin of the universe from his wheelchair and becoming one of the greatest minds of modern times.

Hawking became a household name after publishing A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes in 1988. NBCNews wrote that the book was "one of the most complex books to achieve mass appeal." It stayed on the Sunday Times best-sellers list for 237 weeks and sold more than 10 million copies.

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"Not since Albert Einstein has a scientist so captured the public imagination and endeared himself to tens of millions of people around the world," Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, told the New York Times.

His most notable scientific discoveries focused on black holes and their behavior and the origin of the universe. The physicist discoverd that black holes radiate energy, and that energy now bears his name as "Hawking radiation." 

Hawking's brilliance was complimented by his profound ability to communicate complicated ideas to the layman, both in writing and in lecture. In recent years, Hawking became an outspoken supporter of fighting climate change. 

"Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it's one we can prevent if we act now," Hawking told BBC in an interview in July. "By denying the evidence for climate change, and pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet, endangering the natural world, for us and our children."

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Speaking through a voice synthesizer since 1986, Hawking communicated his theories both on the world stage and in the classroom. The computer-generated voice, dubbed "Perfect Paul" and developed in the early 1980s by MIT engineer Dennis Klatt, as reported by Wired in a 2015 article, has become reconized the world-over as uniquely Hawking's, though it wasn't developed solely for him. When an update was made in 1988, Hawking didn't like the voice and requested to switch back. It had been "Perfect Paul" ever since.

Hawking traveled the globe to meet with scientists and had been to every continent, according to the New York Times. The famed physicist had appeared in countless documentaries, was portrayed by Eddie Redmayne in the 2014 biopic, The Theory of Everything, and even cameoed in light-hearted television series such as "The Simpsons," "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "The Big Bang Theory." In 2007, Hawking took a zero-gravity flight to experience weightlessness for the first time. His sense of humor and adventure added to his world-wide appeal.

In a 2007 interview, Hawking shared, "I want to show that people need not be limited by physical handicaps as long as they are not disabled in spirit."

Click through the slideshow above to see snapshots from Hawking's life well-lived.