What honor did Stephen Hawking receive from the Queen in 1982?

Stephen Hawking received appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1982. The honour was announced in the 1982 New Year Honours for his services to astronomical research.

The CBE is a senior rank within the Order of the British Empire, below a knighthood or damehood. It is not the same as a fellowship of the Royal Society, which Hawking received separately in 1974 in recognition of his scientific work.

Hawking continued to receive major honours after 1982, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1985, the Wolf Prize in 1988, the Copley Medal in 2006 and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. He was later appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1989, which is why that honour is sometimes confused with his earlier CBE.