Every year on December 10, the Nobel Prize is awarded on the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions in various fields of Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, Economics, Literature, and Peace. Nobel died on December 10, 1896, in San Remo, Italy at the age of 63 from a cerebral haemorrhage. In his will, Nobel directed his entire 31 million Swedish kronor towards conferring Nobel Prizes for those who have made exemplary contributions to society in the fields of Science, Literature and peace.
Behind the origin of Nobel Prize - A newspaper's mistaken obituary, a changed will
Alfred Bernhard Nobel, a Swedish scientist rose to fame for his invention of dynamite which transformed the construction and mining industry. His invention saved lives of engineers, people involved in this sector as nitroglycerin which was used before dynamite caused countless fatal accidents.
Invention of Dynamite made Nobel wealthy and famous as he set up factories and laboratories in over 20 countries. Nobel's sudden success was marred quickly as dynamite was adopted in warfare, becoming an effective means of destruction of mankind.
In 1888, a French newspaper's mistaken obituary for Alfred Nobel which called him the "merchant of death" for his invention of dynamite made him upset and he resolved to leave behind a different legacy. The article in the French newspaper called him- "the merchant of death who made his fortune by finding a way to kill more people faster than ever before.”
About the Will
In his will in 1895, Nobel directed his entire fortune should be used for the creation of an annual prize for those who work for the benefit of society. In 1901, first Nobel Prize was awarded across various fields; here were the first Nobel Prize recipients-
- Physics- Wilhelm Röntgen (Discovering X-rays)
- Chemistry: Jacobus Henricus van't Hoff (Laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure)
- Medicine: Emil Adolf von Behring (serum therapy against diphtheria)
- Literature: Sully Prudhomme
- Peace: Jean Henry Dunant (Founder of Red Cross) and Frédéric Passy.
First Indian to receive a Nobel Prize
Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in 1913 for his collection of poems- Gitanjali (Song Offerings).
