Alfred Nobel
Inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prizes
Alfred Bernhard Nobel (21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite and for bequeathing his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. He held 355 patents during his life.
Born in Stockholm into the Nobel family, he was the third son of Immanuel Nobel, an engineer and inventor, and Andriette Nobel. The family faced financial hardship, and only Alfred and three brothers survived childhood. His father, who had studied at the Royal Institute of Technology, built bridges and experimented with rock blasting, encouraging Alfred’s early education. After business failures, Immanuel moved to Saint Petersburg, where he became a successful manufacturer of machine tools and explosives, inventing the veneer lathe and working on naval mines. The family joined him in 1842, and Alfred was taught by private tutors, excelling in chemistry and languages. His only formal schooling was 18 months at a Stockholm school; he never attended university. He became fluent in six languages—Swedish, French, Russian, English, German, and Italian—and also wrote poetry in English, including a prose tragedy about Beatrice Cenci that was considered scandalous and largely destroyed after his death.
As a young man, Nobel studied with chemist Nikolai Zinin and, in 1850, went to Paris, where he met Ascanio Sobrero, the synthesizer of nitroglycerin. Despite Sobrero’s warnings about its instability, Nobel sought to make it a usable explosive. He spent a year in the United States working under John Ericsson. His first patent, for a gas meter, was filed in 1857; his first Swedish patent, in 1863, concerned gunpowder preparation. The family factory produced armaments for the Crimean War but struggled afterward, leading his father to return to Sweden. Nobel then focused on explosives, inventing a detonator in 1863 and the blasting cap in 1865. A devastating 1864 explosion at the family factory killed five, including his younger brother Emil, and cost him his license. He founded a new company in a more isolated area. In 1867, he patented dynamite, a safer form of nitroglycerin, followed by gelignite in 1875 and ballistite in 1887. He also owned Bofors, an iron and steel producer he developed into a major armaments manufacturer. Elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1884, he donated his fortune to fund the No
- born
- 21 October 1833
- died
- 10 December 1896
- field
- Chemistry, engineering, invention
- nationality
- Swedish
- known_for
- Inventing dynamite, establishing the Nobel Prizes
Lore & Background
Born into the prominent Nobel family in Stockholm, Nobel displayed an early aptitude for science and languages, becoming fluent in six languages. He filed his first patent at age 24. He owned the company Bofors, an iron and steel producer that he developed into a major manufacturer of cannons and other armaments. His most famous invention, dynamite, was patented in 1867. He also invented gelignite in 1875 and ballistite in 1887. Upon his death, Nobel donated his fortune to a foundation to fund the Nobel Prizes. The synthetic element nobelium was named after him. He was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Reader's Guide
Alfred Nobel’s behavior and career were defined by a relentless drive to harness chemistry for practical industrial use, particularly through the safe handling of powerful explosives. After his younger brother was killed in a nitroglycerin factory explosion, Nobel persisted in developing safer alternatives, culminating in his 1867 invention of dynamite, a stabilized form of nitroglycerin. He later created gelignite and ballistite, further advancing explosive technology. Ecologically, his inventions transformed mining, construction, and transportation by enabling large-scale rock blasting and tunnel building, though they also contributed to the armaments industry; Nobel’s company Bofors evolved from iron and steel production into a major cannon manufacturer. His significance extends beyond his 355 patents and industrial empire: upon his death, he bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes, annually honoring those who have “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.” This act reshaped global recognition in science, literature, and peace. In his field, Nobel’s work bridged chemistry and engineering, and his legacy persists through the synthetic element nobelium and companies like Dynamit Nobel and AkzoNobel. He was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which selects Nobel laureates in physics and chemistry, cementing his enduring influence.
Did You Know?
- Nobel was fluent in six languages: Swedish, French, Russian, English, German, and Italian.
- He invented dynamite in 1867 by mixing nitroglycerin with kieselguhr.
- He held 355 patents internationally during his life.
- The Nobel Prizes are funded by his bequest to recognize those who have 'conferred the greatest benefit to humankind'.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"I would not leave anything to a man of action as he would be tempted to give up work; on the other hand, I would like to help dreamers as they find it difficult to get on in life." — Alfred Nobel "If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied." — Alfred Nobel "As quoted in The 12 best Questions To Ask Customers (2001), by Jim Meisenheimer, p. 26." — Alfred Nobel "My dynamite will sooner lead to peace than a thousand world conventions. As soon as men will find that in one instant, whole armies can be utterly destroyed, they surely will abide by golden peace." — Alfred Nobel
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