LibGuides: The Nobel Prize: Getting Started

The Prize

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace - the Nobel Prizes.

In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden's central bank) established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

A person or organization awarded the Nobel Prize is called Nobel Laureate. The word "laureate" refers to being signified by the laurel wreath. In ancient Greece, laurel wreaths were awarded to victors as a sign of honor.

Laurel Wreath Alfred Nobel

900 Nobel Laureates!

874 Laureates* and 26 organizations have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2015. Of them, 76 are Laureates in Economic Sciences. A small number of individuals and organizations have been honored more than once, which means that 870 individuals and 23 unique organizations have received the Nobel Prize in total.

The number of Laureates continues to grow: 11 Laureates were added in 2016 and 12 more in 2017

Lavish Ceremonies await Nobel prize winners!

Nobel Prize Ceremonies
Who, What, When and Where regarding the Nobel award ceremony

The Nobelprize.org

Britannic Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia Britannica content on the Nobel Prize and its benefactor.

Greek Islanders nominated for NPP

Greek islanders who have been on the frontline of the refugee crisis are to be nominated for the Nobel peace prize with the support of their national government.

The Nobel Museum Stockholm, Sweden

The Nobel Museum’s aim is to spread knowledge as well as to create interest and discussion around the natural sciences and culture through creative learning and exhibition techniques, modern technology and elegant design.

At the Nobel Museum, you will learn more about the Nobel Prize and its founder, as well as the Nobel Laureates and their creative endeavors. The Nobel Museum opened in 2001 and is situated in one of Stockholm’s most beautiful 18th-century buildings.

The Nobel Prize YouTube video page

Welcome to the official Nobel Prize YouTube Channel which presents videos about the Nobel Prize awarded achievements and the Nobel Laureates.

Nobel Prize fast facts

Nobel prize recipients are called laureates.

The award consists of a medal, a personal diploma, and a cash prize (8-million Swedish kroner (SEK) - approximately $955,400 U.S. dollars as of September 2015).
The main inscription on one side of the Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Literature Nobel Prize medals is the same: "Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes," loosely translated, "And they who bettered life on earth by new found mastery." Word for word translation, "inventions enhance life which is beautified through art."
The Peace medal has the inscription "Pro pace et fraternitate gentium," translated, "For the peace and brotherhood of men."
The Economics medal has no inscription.
Nobel prizes are announced in advance but awarded annually on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.
The Nobel Prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Economics are awarded at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded at its own ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Periodically, no prize has been awarded. This happened most recently in 1972.
The number of winners is limited to three per category.
A person must be alive to be nominated. If they die during the consideration period, their name will be removed. Only if a person is announced as a winner and dies prior to the ceremony, will a posthumous award be given.
The Nobel Foundation protects the common interests of the Prize Awarding institutions: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Timeline:
1866 - Swedish chemist, engineer and industrialist Alfred Nobel invents dynamite. He later builds companies and laboratories in more than 20 countries around the world.

December 10, 1896 - Nobel dies in Italy at the age of 63. His will endows awards in five categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace.

June 29, 1900 - The Nobel Foundation is established. It is the central body of the Nobel organization responsible for awarding the Nobel Prizes.

1901 - The first Nobel Prizes are awarded.

1939-1943 - No Nobel Peace Prizes are awarded.

1968 - A sixth award, Economics, is added by the Bank of Sweden (Sveriges Riksbank) in the memory of Alfred Nobel.

2016 winners

Year	Physics	Chemistry	Physiology or Medicine	Literature	Peace	Economics
2016	David J. Thouless; Duncan Haldane; John M. Kosterlitz	Jean-Pierre Sauvage; Fraser Stoddart; Ben Feringa	Yoshinori Ohsumi	Bob Dylan	Juan Manuel Santos	Oliver Hart; Bengt R. Holmström