Alfred Nobel

For the Irish racehorse, see Alfred Nobel (horse).
Not to be confused with Alfred Noble.

Alfred Nobel
Nobel in 1896
Born
Alfred Bernhard Nobel

(1833-10-21)21 October 1833
Stockholm, Sweden
Died10 December 1896(1896-12-10) (aged 63)
Sanremo, Liguria, Kingdom of Italy (now Italy)
Resting placeNorra begravningsplatsen, Solna
59°21′24.52″N 18°1′9.43″E / 59.3568111°N 18.0192861°E / 59.3568111; 18.0192861
MonumentsNobel Monument, New York City
Occupations
  • Chemist
  • engineer
  • inventor
  • businessman
Known forEstablishing the Nobel Prizes
Inventing dynamite
Parents
FamilyNobel
Signature

Alfred Bernhard Nobel (/noʊˈbɛl/ noh-BEL, Swedish: [ˈǎlfrɛd nʊˈbɛlː] ⓘ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes.[1] He also made several other important contributions to science, holding 355 patents in his lifetime.

A member of the prominent Nobel family, Nobel displayed an early aptitude for science and learning, particularly in chemistry and languages; he became fluent in six languages and filed his first patent at the age of 24. He embarked on many business ventures with his family, most notably owning the company Bofors, which was an iron and steel producer that he had developed into a major manufacturer of cannons and other armaments. Nobel's most famous invention, dynamite, was an explosive using nitroglycerin that was patented in 1867. He further invented gelignite in 1875 and ballistite in 1887.

Upon his death, Nobel donated his fortune to a foundation to fund Nobel Prizes, which annually recognize those who "conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".[2][3] The synthetic element nobelium was named after him,[4] and his name and legacy also survive in companies such as Dynamit Nobel and AkzoNobel, which descend from mergers with companies he founded. Nobel was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which, pursuant to his will, would be responsible for choosing the Nobel laureates in physics and in chemistry.

  1. ^ Golden, Frederic (16 October 2000). "The Worst and the Brightest". Time. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007.
  2. ^ "THE NOBEL PRIZE ORGANISATION". Nobel Prize.
  3. ^ "Alfred Nobel's Will". Nobel Peace Prize. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Nobelium". Royal Society of Chemistry. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016.