Obituaries

Professor Peter Higgs has died aged 94. The theoretical physicist was best known for his prediction of a key elementary particle, the Higgs boson, which earned him the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics soon after its discovery.

One of the most iconic inventions of the 21st century is about to be retired. The Segway PT self-balancing scooter will officially cease production next month. It’ll no doubt leave a lasting legacy – albeit probably not the one the company intended.

Pioneering theoretical physicist and science popularizer Stephen Hawking has passed away at the age of 76.

The first astronaut to fly in space untethered died on Thursday at the age of 80. According to NASA, Captain Bruce McCandless II (US Navy, retired) passed away at his home in California from undisclosed causes.

Captain Eugene "Gene" Cernan, the last man to leave the Moon, has passed away at the age of 82. A holder of multiple space records, Cernan was Commander of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 and one of only 12 astronauts to walk on Moon.

Vera Rubin, the astronomer whose work first confirmed the existence of dark matter, has passed away at the age of 88. Along with that groundbreaking discovery, Rubin has a legacy of scientific achievements and awards, and was a strong advocate for women in science.

​Space pioneer and former US senator John Glenn has died at the age of 95, after a brief stay in hospital. One of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, Glenn was America's first man to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962.

Captain Edgar Dean "Ed" Mitchell has died age 85. The US Navy veteran and NASA astronaut was the Lunar Module Pilot on the Apollo 14 mission in 1971 and was the sixth man to walk on the Moon.

Scott Carpenter, one of the last surviving Mercury 7 astronauts, has died at the age of 88. The second American to go into orbit and the fourth Mercury astronaut to travel into space, Carpenter is also remembered for his contributions to oceanography.

Neil Armstrong, who on July 21, 1969 became the first man to step on the Moon, has died aged 82.

Ray Bradbury, author of such groundbreaking science fiction books as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91.

Automotive legend Carroll Hall Shelby passed away yesterday at age 89. Born in Texas on January 11, 1923, Shelby was a leading race car driver, then race and performance car designer who became a household name for his exploits.