Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1867 to make the highly unstable explosive nitroglycerin safer to handle and transport. He achieved this by absorbing nitroglycerin into an absorbent clay material, creating a stable paste.

In 1888, a French newspaper mistakenly published an obituary for Nobel titled "The merchant of death is dead," condemning his invention of dynamite. Horrified by how he would be remembered, he rewrote his will to leave his fortune to fund the prestigious Nobel Prizes.

The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, five years after Alfred Nobel's death in 1896. They were established to honor outstanding achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace, as directed in his will.

Besides being an inventor, Nobel was a highly successful industrialist and chemist. He held over 350 patents during his lifetime and built a massive industrial empire with factories in numerous countries.