Crick died in July of 2004, at the age of 88. During his last years, Crick was doing what he always had: pursuing those things that piqued his curiosity. Though he realized his own limitations in making ground-breaking discoveries, Crick in his later years was constantly trying to get younger researchers interested in the unknown, because for Crick, his discoveries were made possible by expanding on the work of those who came before him.

For their work with DNA and the Double Helix, Crick, Watson and Wilkins were all awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962.

If you'd like to know more, please consult the following resources:

• Francis Crick at Wikipedia
• Crick Biography at NovelPrize.org
• Time Article on Crick and Watson
• Crick's Obituary