Who is Alfred Bernhard Nobel? What are they Internets? Family, Education
Alfred Bernhard Nobel a Swedish chemist, inventor and engineer was born in Stockholm, Sweden on October 21, 1883. His father Immanuel Nobel was also an inventor, Alfred was the third of four sons of the Nobel’s.
He dealt in explosive and, therefore, he was called “merchant of death.’ When Alfred was 9 years old his father moved to Petersburg, Russia in 1842 from Stockholm. It means that he left his school at that young age, however, his mother tried to help in his education.
Immanuel Nobel began to manufacture sea mines and rifles and earned goof profit. The family lived happily and in comforts in a magnificent home and the boys was taught at home very well and it caused the family worry. Alfred tried hard to make up for his physical handicaps by the developing his mind.
He read voraciously on all kinds of subjects and developed a love of Shalley’s poetry. About the age of 15-16 he had acquired good knowledge of many subjects and knew Russian. French and English languages.
Met John Ericsson, Father Business
Crimean War broke out Alfred father had a very good business and supplied guns and sea-mines to the Russian fleet. But when the war came to an end in 1856 his business failed miserably Moreover, a fire in the factory completed the ruin. Alfred went to Paris and studied chemistry there.
He then went to the United States and worked under John Ericsson an engineer and ship-builder. At 21 Alfred returned to St. Petersburg. His father had begun some experiments with nitroglycerin but later abandoned them.
Alfred took up these but in 1864 one of his explosive factories blew up and his younger brother and some other works were killed. After a few months of this tragic incident, he moved to Hamburg and set up a factory for producing nitroglycerin.
Discovery Period of Nitroglycerin, Dynamite, and Founder of Atlantic Giant Powder Company
In 1866 Nobel discovered dynamite while he was experimenting to make nitroglycerine safer to handle by mixing it with Kieselguhr, a porus diatomic mineral. Then, within a short span of eight years Nobel’s name became famous and well known.
He supplied to more and more countries his explosives. He got his new discovery patented as “Dynamite. In America he founded “Atlantic Giant Powder Company” in Europe also he solely controlled the production of the fabulously rich and British Dynamite Company was formed.
It made him fabulously rich and the Dynamite King. In 1878 he along with his brothers developed some oil fields in Russia. In 1888 he invented ballistic, one of the first smokeless, explosive powder.
Met Bohemian Nobel woman Baroness Bertha Van Stattner, Lay down Arms
Nobel never married but travelled throughout Europe and had homes in Paris, Stockholm and San Remo, Itlay. Nobel met a Bohemian Nobel woman Baroness Bertha Van Stattner. She wrote a small book entitled, “Lay down Arms”, in 1889.
This book became the most-talked book of the time in Europe soon after is publication. Translations in many other European languages were also published and many pacifist organizations came into existence.
Thus, she became one of the world’s leading pacifists. She had been secretary to Alfred Nobel for a brief period. But she continued writing letters to Nobel urging him to work for world peace and disarmament.
Some Great Words Said By Nobel
Nobel was not sure about the effectiveness of the pacifist movement. He had said, “Perhaps my high explosive factories will end war to be able to annihilate each other ideas about peace. Once in a letter to her Nobel had said, perhaps my explosive factories will end war sooner than congress”.
On the day when two army crops will recoil in horror and disband their arms.” Nobel believed Let the Sword of Damocles hang over head and you will witness a miracle: they all will clamour for peace. But perhaps dynamite is not sufficient to achieve the result, even if one day it will be dropped from the air on the capitals of the world. I think we need something more powerful. Perhaps war would stop instantly if that weapon was bacteria.
Say Good Bye to the World
Alfred Nobel Died on December 10, 1896 at San Remo, Itlay on his Riviera, an old, sick lonely and a rootless millionaire. There he was looked after by his old butler only. The butler found him dead one day at his desk busy in his work. The day was 10th Day of December, 1896.
He died of a heart attack. But before his death he had signed his final will and left a bulk of his fortune amounting about $ 1,750, 000 to a trust fund administered by Swedish and Norwegian trustees. The annual interests of the above would be awarded as prizes to those persons who during the previous year had rendered the greatest services to mankind.
Awards and Achievements of Nobel and why he is known as Legend?
Nobel created these prizes as a tribute to his friend Bertha Von Suttner. He had left to the executors of his will to work out the details of administrating the prizes. Nine years, Bertha was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Today Nobel Prizes are the most famous and awarded in six disciplines each year. Three of these disciplines are science- Physics, Chemistry and physiology or medicine. The three other disciplines include literature, peace and economics.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901. The winners of these prizes who make truly great contribution in their respective fields of discipline are called Nobel Laureates. The sixth prize, for economics was established by the Swedish National Bank in 1968, and awarded for the first time in 1969.