Two of the major achievements of Stephen Hawking are described in elementary terms. They are his work on the beginning of the universe and his work on the end of black holes. These are perhaps the scientific achievements for which he is best known. Some of the qualities that enabled his great achievements are also described. The article is a slightly edited version of one solicited by the Proceedings of the (US) National Academy of Sciences for their Retrospectives section and will appear there.

Stephen Hawking's work on the beginning of the universe and black hole endpoints revolutionized our understanding of the universe, and his personality traits enabled his great achievements.

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Stephen Hawking (1942–2018): Toward a complete understanding of the universe

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