Video tribute to Stephen Hawking who would have turned 80 today

Renowned physicist and Cosmologist Stephen Hawking would have been 80 today. He was born in Oxford and has made a major contribution to science and our understanding of the universe.

To mark the date, Google worked with his family to create a "Google Doodle" - a short digital video of his life that appears on their search pages.

The video is a short, condensed version of his life and the creators used Hawking's famous computer-generated voice to narrate his work and experiences from the time he graduated.  Art Director Matthew Cruickshank explained how the project came about.

Stephen was born in 1942 and at the age of 21 he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease, which meant that in the years to follow he lost his mobility and his ability to speak.

However, he was able to communicate through a computer using a voice created in the 1980s and in the video you can hear his voice saying how he's free in his mind even though he cannot move.

His contributions to science and research were globally recognised. He travelled widely and his books helped to make physics accessible to adults and children.

Stephen died aged 76. The Hawking family thanked everybody who joined in the celebration of his life.