According to Biography.com, Stephen Hawking was nicknamed "Einstein" by his classmates.
He and six or seven close friends used to "have long discussions about everything from radio-controlled models to religion," he recounted, and even tackled "the origin of the universe". This would have amazed his teachers, who despaired of his handwriting, the state of his classwork and the fact that he was "never more than half way up the class", the world renowned physicist admitted.
Check out the extraordinary life of Stephen Hawking on Biography.com. Learn more about his groundbreaking work and the effects of his affliction with ALS.
Want to become a Physicist? Check out the steps at Mkaku.org.