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
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!
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.