The University of Cambridge made the paper from 1965 public and can be downloaded by anyone, to encourage people to share their own ideas.
The paper, titled ‘Properties of Expanding Universes’, is as mind-blowing as it is an intense read and includes the hand-written signature of the then 24-year old genius.
The University has said it is by far the most popular thesis that has ever been put on their website and now Cambridge and Prof Hawking say they hope people will be encouraged to focus more on scientific research.
Prof Hawking said: “By making my PhD thesis Open Access, I hope to inspire people around the world to look up at the stars and not down at their feet; to wonder about our place in the universe and to try and make sense of the cosmos.
“Anyone, anywhere in the world should have free, unhindered access to not just my research, but to the research of every great and enquiring mind across the spectrum of human understanding.
“Each generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before them, just as I did as a young PhD student in Cambridge, inspired by the work of Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell and Albert Einstein.
“It’s wonderful to hear how many people have already shown an interest in downloading my thesis – hopefully they won’t be disappointed now that they finally have access to it!”
Arthur Smith, deputy head of scholarly communication at Cambridge, added: “Open Access enables research. By eliminating the barriers between people and knowledge we can realise new breakthroughs in all areas of science, medicine and technology.
“It is especially important for disseminating the knowledge acquired during doctoral research studies.
“PhD theses contain a vast trove of untapped and unique information just waiting to be used, but which is often locked away from view and scrutiny.
“From October 2017 onwards, all PhD students graduating from the University of Cambridge will be required to deposit an electronic copy of their doctoral work for future preservation.
“And like Professor Hawking, we hope that many students will also take the opportunity to freely distribute their work online by making their thesis Open Access. We would also invite former University alumni to consider making their theses Open Access, too.”