Fun Facts About Alfred Nobel
- In 1888 Le Figaro ran a front-page obituary of the still-living Alfred Nobel, calling him hardly a benefactor of mankind, and retracted it the next day. The "merchant of death" version may be a myth.[1]
- Nobel's secretary for a brief time, Bertha von Suttner, probably influenced him to create the Peace Prize, which she herself won in 1905.[1]
- Nobel wrote poetry and a tragedy, Nemesis. After his death almost every copy was destroyed as scandalous and blasphemous; only three survived.[1]
- Nobel held 355 patents and his business ran more than 90 explosives and armaments factories, despite his apparently pacifist character.[1]
- The economics prize was not in Nobel's will. Sweden's central bank created it in 1968, and some still question whether it is a legitimate "Nobel Prize".[1]
- Accused of high treason by France for selling the explosive ballistite to Italy, Nobel left Paris in 1891 and moved to Sanremo, Italy.[1]
- Alfred Nobel was alive at the same time as Andrew Jackson — their lives overlapped for 12 years (1833–1845).[1][2][3][4]
- Alfred Nobel shares a birthday with Benjamin Netanyahu: both were born on October 21.[1][2][5][6]
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite, as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. He also made several other important contributions to science, holding 355 patents during his life.[1]
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Questions About Alfred Nobel
When was Alfred Nobel born?
Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833, and died on December 10, 1896.
How old was Alfred Nobel at death?
Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833, and died on December 10, 1896, at age 63.
What was Alfred Nobel known for?
Alfred Nobel was known for: Invented dynamite, founded Nobel Prizes. Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite, as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. He also made several other important contributions to science, holding 355 patents during his life.
Who was alive at the same time as Alfred Nobel?
Alfred Nobel's closest contemporary was Giuseppe Verdi. Their lives overlapped for 63 years.
Sources
- Alfred Nobel — Wikipedia. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alfred Nobel (Q23810) — Wikidata
- Andrew Jackson — Wikipedia
- Andrew Jackson (Q11817) — Wikidata
- Benjamin Netanyahu — Wikipedia
- Benjamin Netanyahu (Q43723) — Wikidata
- Portrait: AlfredNobel2.jpg — Wikimedia Commons. [1] [2], Public domain