Nobel laureate British physicist Peter Higgs dead at 94

British Nobel laureate Peter Higgs, well known for his "Higgs boson particle," has died, according to a statement Tuesday. He was 94.

"He passed away peacefully at home on Monday 8 April following a short illness," said the University of Edinburgh.

He is renowned for his prediction of the existence of a new particle, the so-called Higgs boson, which he first proposed in 1964.

Higgs, emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2013 for his work showing how the boson helps bind the universe together.

"Peter Higgs was a remarkable individual-a truly gifted scientist ... his pioneering work has motivated thousands of scientists, and his legacy will continue to inspire many more for generations to come," Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh said in the statement.