Most have heard about the existence of the so called "Nobel Prizes", but what are they exactly? When were they created and by whom? Under what purpose were they established? Many people have helped shape knowledge and improve humanity, no other man believed this as strongly as Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and the founder of the prizes that award those individuals who make the greatest contributions to mankind in diverse fields. Alfred Nobel, in his death will, expressed his wishes to leave the majority of his wealth for the creation of the prizes. The will says that the remaining part of his estate should be used to fond "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind."(Alfred Nobel) He died in 1896 and because the dynamics of the awards were not completely clear, the first prizes were awarded five years after Nobel´s death on December 10th 1901. The original prizes were: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. A new category, economics, was added in 1968. The awards are given annually in Stockholm and the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo. The prizes are awarded by the Norwegian Nobel committee.
In this picture you can see the first Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in 1901 at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm.
Citations:
Rosenberg, J.. N.p.. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://history1900s.about.com/od/medicaladvancesissues/a/nobelhistory.htm>.
"Alfred Nobel's Life and Work - for Gradeschoolers ". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://www.nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/biographical/articles/life-work/gradeschool.html>
Picture:
The First Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/biographical/articles/life-work/images/musicacad.jpg>.
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