Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and blasting caps, but is most often remembered for the prize that bears his name.

Nobel was born on October 21, 1833, in Stockholm, Sweden. He was a descendant of Olaus Rudbeck, a 17th century scientist who discovered the lymphatic system, and the third son of Immanuel Nobel, an engineer who built bridges and experimented with ways to blast rocks. In 1837, Nobel's father left the family to find his fortune in Finland and Russia. Five years later, he moved his wife and sons to St. Petersburg, where he had founded a successful munitions factory. As members of wealthy family, Alfred and his brothers studied under private tutors and received a classical education. By the age of 17, Alfred was fluent in five languages and interested in both chemistry and poetry. Nobel's father was displeased with his son's interest in literature, however, and sent Alfred to Paris to study under T.J. Pelouze, a famous chemist. While working in Pelouze's private laboratory, Nobel met Ascanio Sobrero, the inventor of nitroglycerine.

When Nobel returned to Russia, he sought to develop nitroglycerine as a safe and commercially viable explosive. The end of the Crimean War (1853 – 1856) reduced the Czar's demand for armaments, however, and the family business soon began to suffer. Although older brothers Robert and Ludvig remained in Russia, Alfred and his father returned to Sweden and started a munitions factory with the help of Emil, a younger brother. Tragedy struck when an explosion rocked the family-owned business and killed Emil and a group of laborers. When the city of Stockholm banned the Nobel family's experiments, Alfred moved operations to a barge on Lake Mälaren. In 1864, he started mass production of nitroglycerine.

Saddened by the loss of his brother, Nobel continued to seek ways to make nitroglycerine safer. Through his experiments, he learned that mixing nitroglycerine with sand turned the liquid into a paste which could then be shaped into cylindrical rods. In 1867, Nobel secured a patent for his discovery, which he called "dynamite". He also invented a blasting cap which could be detonated by lighting a fuse. In 1876, Nobel patented gelignite, a powerful explosive that combined nitroglycerin with gun-cotton. Later experiments yielded ballistite, a smokeless gunpowder and precursor of cordite. Ultimately, the fortune that Alfred amassed from the manufacture of munitions at Bofors complemented the success of his brothers Robert and Ludvig, who made millions by exploring the oil fields of southern Russia.

In 1888, a French newspaper incorrectly reported the death of Albert Nobel. The obituary branded the inventor of dynamite as "the merchant of death" and claimed that Nobel "became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before". Struck by this dark view of his legacy, Nobel modified his will to devote the majority of his estate to the establishment of the Nobel Prizes, annual awards that celebrate great accomplishments in science, literature, and the pursuit of peace. In his later years, Nobel also wrote Nemesis, a four-act tragedy which critics branded as scandalous after Nobel's death in Italy on December 10, 1896. Although only one original copy of Nemesis remains, Nobel's legacy lives on in the prizes that bear his name and Nobelium, a synthetic element.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaus_Rudbeck

http://nobelprize.org/nobel/alfred-nobel/biographi cal/life-work/gradeschool.html

http://web.telia.com/~u87423592/side1/side1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobelium