On 14 March 2018 – as news channels announced the sad demise of Professor Stephen Hawking, a sense of grief loomed across the globe. The world had lost one of it’s brightest minds.
As a tribute to Hawking, a memorial service was held as his ashes were put to rest between Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin in Scientists’ Corner at London’s Westminster Abbey on Friday afternoon, 15 June.
Following the service, as gesture to honour the man who was hailed as one of the world’s most gifted scientists, his words have been set to an original score by composer Vangelis, famous for his Chariots of Fire film theme, and the music will be beamed towards the nearest black hole, as reported by the BBC.
Earlier, Westminster Abbey tweeted that the service including tributes, addresses and readings would be administered by eminent personalities including Nobel laureate Professor Kip Thorne, technologist Tom Nabarro, Astronomer Royal Lord Rees of Ludlow, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, his daughter Lucy Hawking and astronaut Tim Peake.
The memorial stone which will cover Hawking’s grave has been designed keeping in mind his contribution to science and work towards understanding black holes. Etched on the stone is Hawking’s most famous equation describing the entropy of a black hole.
Westminster Abbey also shared a glimpse of the “fascinating” Scientists' Corner in a video clip, where 18 of the world’s great scientists are buried.
Renowned celebrities and dignitaries made their way to attend the service that was held at noon, for a sombre yet unforgettable experience.
Hawking’s children Robert, Lucy and Tim offered up to 1,000 free tickets to the public through a ballot system, run by the Stephen Hawking Foundation, for those who wished to be a part of the memorial, as per a report in The Hindu.
To register applicants had to give their birth date, that could be be any day up to 31 December, 2038.
Allowing people born in the future or time travellers as many like to call them, was a symbolic gesture for the man who dedicated his life towards unravelling the mysteries of the universe.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)