The Nobel Prize

Alfred Nobel was the man who created the Nobel Prize. In his will he left a fortune so that prizes could be awarded for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace. He was interested in all of these subjects. It is thought the peace prize came about due to his friendship with Bertha Von Suttner. She was very involved in the peace movement she even wrote a book that was anti-war called "Lay Down your Army".
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm Sweden on the 21st October 1833. His father was an engineer and inventor. He unfortunately went bankrupt the year his son Alfred was born. He went to Russia and Finland to start again in 1837. He began a very successful mechanical workshop. They eventually went to live in St Petersburg. It was here that their son Alfred Nobel was to receive an excellent education.
His father then sent him abroad. He visited various countries. It was while he was in Paris that he discovered Nitroglycerine, an extremely explosive and dangerous liquid. In 1852 he went back to help in the family business. Then in 1863 he returned with his father and one of his brothers to Stockholm. He began to look at ways of making Nitroglycerine less dangerous. He eventually came up with a solution. This involved turning it into a paste. He called it dynamite and he patented in 1867. But he didn't stop there. Altogether he had 355 patents for various inventions. He became a very rich man and travelled a lot. Alfred Nobel died on the 10th December 1896 in San Remo, Italy. The Nobel Prize has been going since 1901. It is considered a great honour all over the world to receive the Nobel Prize whether it is for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature or peace. The peace Prize is the most respected because they have tried very hard to promote peace.
© Children's Web Magazine 2008