|
Nobel's dying wish was to honor top achievers
By Svenska CNN Writer Tina Johansson
GOTHENBURG, Sweden (CNN) -- The first Nobel prizes were awarded in 1901 to carry out the final wishes of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel, who -- according to his will -- wanted to recognize people whose work conferred "the greatest benefit on mankind."
The annual awards in the sciences, literature and the promotion of international peace are among the most prestigious in the world.
Nobel's interest in rewarding achievements in five fields was rooted in family tradition and his own life experience. Russian archives show that his relatives also donated large amounts of money to research and education.
Nobel made a fortune by inventing dynamite, which greatly improved the safety of explosives.
Alfred Nobel initially had hoped that his invention would put an end to war, by making it so horrible that no one would want to engage in it. He was wrong, but the wealth generated from his invention did create the Nobel Peace Prize, which, in retrospect, might have softened his disappointment.
Father also an inventor
Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. His parents were Immanuel Nobel, an engineer and inventor, and Andrietta Ahlsell. Immanuel Nobel had designed steam engines and underwater mines that protected St. Petersburg, Russia, during the Crimean War. He also was a pioneer in arms manufacturing, and had experimented with different techniques of blasting rock.
When Alfred was young, the family moved to Russia so Immanuel could start a new career after having been forced into bankruptcy. There, Alfred and his brothers received a first-class education. By the age of 17, Alfred was fluent in five languages and had developed interests ranging from chemistry to English poetry.
Soon after, young Nobel was sent to Paris for more training in chemical engineering. This gave him the foundation for the work that would place him in history books.
Inventing dynamite
A meeting with Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero, who invented nitroglycerine, led to Nobel's invention of dynamite. Because nitroglycerine and its production were difficult to control -- an explosion killed Nobel's brother Emil in 1864 -- Nobel tried adding different substances to make it safer.
He eventually mixed it with silica to make a paste that could be shaped into rods and inserted into drilling holes. In 1867, he patented this material, calling it dynamite.
His invention was a boon during the era of rapidly growing industries and cities. As a man who discovered how to reduce costs for blasting rock and drilling tunnels, Nobel became a very wealthy man.
He died in Italy on December 10, 1896. In his will, he directed that his estate -- about $4 million, or equivalent to about $173 million today -- be used for prizes in chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature and peacekeeping. The prize in economic sciences was established in 1968 to commemorate the Bank of Sweden's (Riksbanken) 300th anniversary.
The selection process
According to Nobel's wishes, the prizes in science and literature were to be awarded by a Swedish committee, while the peace prize was to be given out by a Norwegian panel.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is responsible for the prizes in physics, chemistry and economic sciences; the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute awards the prize in medicine; and the Swedish Academy awards the prize for literature. In Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee administers the Peace Prize.
It is not clear why Nobel divided the awards this way. Some speculate that Nobel favored the Norwegian parliament's penchant for finding peaceful solutions to international disputes. Others theorize that Nobel may have been influenced by Norwegian author Bjornstjerne Bjornson and his interest in peaceful causes.
Each year, thousands of international experts and research institutes are invited to nominate candidates, and previous Nobel Prize winners also may submit nominations. Members of governments and the International Court of Justice at The Hague can make suggestions for the peace prize.
The nominations are carefully investigated. Then, the committees present a selection of possible candidates to the prize-awarding institutions, and a vote is taken. The year's laureates are announced immediately after the vote, which is held in October.
Prizes are not without controversy
The Nobel Prizes have tremendous prestige and offer significant financial rewards. Each winner this year will receive about $1 million. Frequently, the prizes engender controversy as well.
Many were outraged when former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam received the 1973 peace prize for negotiating the Vietnam peace accord -- only a year after Americans were condemned for bombing Hanoi and escalating the war. Le Duc Tho refused to accept the prize.
Other controversies have arisen over the choices. In every country, there are those who are perennially disappointed when the Nobel committees overlook their national heroes.
Sir Winston Churchill received the literature prize in 1953, while the popular writer Graham Greene was not recognized. Swedes are still waiting for the poet Tomas Tranströmer and the children's book writer Astrid Lindgren to win awards. Others cannot understand why the late Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi never won the peace prize.
Besides Le Duc Tho, others who have declined a Nobel Prize include French author Jean-Paul Sartre, who refused the prize for literature in 1964.
Dinner for 1,300
Winter-weary Swedes welcome Nobel Day as a break from the dark days and frenzy before Christmas. There may be depressing stories on unemployment and the currency, but Swedes always stage a grand party for the Nobel ceremonies.
Laureates, together with family and friends, usually arrive in Stockholm during the second week in December to prepare for the award ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
King Carl XVI Gustaf will present the medals and diplomas to the laureates. Queen Silvia also participates in the televised ceremonies.
The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, which follows much of the same traditions, though on a smaller scale, takes place in the Oslo Town Hall. In both cities, there are opulent banquets to honor the winners. In Stockholm, 1,300 guests sit down for a gourmet dinner.
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- The Nobel Foundation Home Page
- Excerpt from the will of Alfred Nobel from the Nobel Foundation home page
- The Nobel Foundation's searchable prize archive
- The 1996 Nobel Prizes: A CNN Interactive Special Section
- The Nobel Prize Internet Archive -- not affiliated with the Nobel Foundation
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.