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Nobel Prize

Medal awarded to the laureate Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize(Swede. Nobelpriset, English Nobel Prize) - one of the most prestigious international awards, awarded annually for outstanding scientific research, revolutionary inventions, or major contributions to culture or society.

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Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden, into a family of engineers. He was a chemist, engineer and inventor. In 1894, Nobel acquired the Bofors metallurgical concern, which became the largest arms manufacturer. During his life, Nobel amassed an impressive fortune. He received most of his income from his 355 inventions, of which the most famous was dynamite.

In 1888, Alfred Nobel was “buried alive.” Nobel's brother Ludwig died in Cannes, and by mistake of reporters, newspapers published an announcement about the death of Alfred Nobel himself, and not his brother. After reading his own obituary in a French newspaper entitled “The Merchant of Death is Dead,” Nobel began to think about how humanity would remember him. After this, he decided to change his will. On December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel died at his villa in San Remo, Italy, of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Alfred Nobel's will, drawn up on November 27, 1895, was announced in January 1897

Nobel's will

“All my movable and immovable property must be converted by my executors into liquid assets, and the capital thus collected must be placed in a reliable bank. The income from the investments should belong to a fund, which will distribute them annually in the form of bonuses to those who, during the previous year, have brought the greatest benefit to humanity ... The specified interest must be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: one part - to the one who makes the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; the other - to the one who makes the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; the third - to the one who makes the most important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; fourth - to the one who creates the most outstanding literary work idealistic direction; fifth - to the one who has made the most significant contribution to the unity of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of the size of existing armies and the promotion of peace congresses ... It is my special desire that, in awarding prizes, no consideration will be given to the nationality of the candidates ... "

This will was initially received with skepticism. Numerous relatives of Nobel considered themselves deprived and demanded that the will be declared illegal. Only on April 26, 1897 it was approved by the Storting of Norway. The executors of Nobel's will, secretary Ragnar Sulman and lawyer Rudolf Liljequist, organized the Nobel Foundation to take care of the execution of his will and organize the presentation of prizes.

According to Nobel's instructions, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose members were appointed in April 1897 shortly after the will came into force, became responsible for awarding the Peace Prize. After some time, the organizations awarding the remaining prizes were determined. On 7 June, Karolinska Institutet became responsible for awarding prizes in physiology or medicine; On June 9, the Swedish Academy received the right to award a prize for literature; On June 11, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was recognized as responsible for awarding prizes in physics and chemistry. On June 29, 1900, the Nobel Foundation was founded for the purpose of managing the finances and organizing the Nobel Prizes. The Nobel Foundation reached agreement on the basic principles of awarding prizes, and in 1900 the newly created foundation charter was accepted by King Oscar II. In 1905, the Swedish-Norwegian Union was dissolved. From now on, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize, and Swedish organizations are responsible for the remaining prizes.

Prize rules

The main document regulating the rules for awarding the prize is the statute of the Nobel Foundation.

The prize can only be awarded to individuals and not to institutions (except for peace prizes). The Peace Prize can be awarded to individuals as well as official and public organizations.

According to § 4 of the statute, one or two works can be rewarded at the same time, but the total number of recipients should not exceed three. Although this rule was only introduced in 1968, it has always been de facto respected. In this case, the monetary reward is divided among the laureates as follows: the prize is first divided equally between the works, and then equally between their authors. Thus, if two different discoveries are awarded, one of which was made by two people, then the latter receive 1/4 of the monetary part of the prize. And if one discovery is awarded, which was made by two or three, everyone receives equally (1/2 or 1/3 of the prize, respectively).

Also in § 4 it is stated that the prize cannot be awarded posthumously. However, if the applicant was alive at the time the prize was announced (usually in October), but died before the award ceremony (December 10 of the current year), then the prize remains with him. This rule was adopted in 1974, and before that the prize was awarded posthumously twice: to Erik Karlfeldt in 1931 and to Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961. However, in 2011, the rule was broken when, by decision of the Nobel Committee, Ralph Steinman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine posthumously, since at the time of the award the Nobel Committee considered him alive.

According to § 5 of the statute, the prize may not be awarded to anyone if the members of the relevant committee did not find worthy works among those nominated for competition. In this case, the prize money is retained until the next year. If the prize is not awarded next year, the funds are transferred to the closed reserve of the Nobel Foundation.

Nobel Prizes

Nobel's will provided for the allocation of funds for awards to representatives of only five areas:

· Physics (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

· Chemistry (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

· Physiology and Medicine (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

· Literature (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

· Promotion of world peace (awarded since 1901 in Norway)

In addition, regardless of Nobel's will, since 1969, on the initiative of the Bank of Sweden, the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, informally called the Nobel Prize in Economics, has also been awarded. It is awarded under the same conditions as other Nobel Prizes. In the future, the board of the Nobel Foundation decided not to increase the number of nominations.

The laureate is required to give a so-called “Nobel Memorial Lecture,” which is then published by the Nobel Foundation in a special volume.

Nobel Prize amount

The Nobel Foundation was created in 1900 as a private independent non-governmental organization, with an initial capital of 31.6 million Swedish crowns (at current prices this amount is equivalent to approximately 1.65 billion crowns), and in terms of the current (summer 2012) dollar exchange rate - about $250 million. Prizes to laureates were paid from interest on securities transactions.

The first premiums were CZK 150,000 (CZK 7.87 million in 2009 prices). In the 1980s, premiums were about 880,000 crowns (in terms of the exchange rate of the early 2010s - about $350,000). In the 1990s, the premium increased significantly. As of December 2015, the fund's capital was SEK 4.065 billion and the premium was SEK 8 million, approximately equivalent to US$1.1 million.

· In 1992 - US$1.04 million

· In 2000 - US$0.9 million

· In 2003 - US$1.34 million

· In 2004 - US$1.46 million

· In 2005 - US$1.25 million

· In 2006 - US$1.45 million

· In 2007 - US$1.56 million

· In 2008 - US$1.25 million

· In 2009 - US$1.45 million

· In 2010 - US$1.5 million

· In 2011 - US$1.4 million

· In 2016 - US$1.1 million

· In 2017 - US$1.118 million.

In 2012, the size of the Nobel Prize decreased by 20 percent, to $1.1 million. This decision was made in June 2012 at a meeting of the board of directors of the Nobel Foundation. According to the fund's management, this measure will help avoid a reduction in the organization's capital in the long term. As the fund says in a statement, capital management “must be carried out in such a way that the award can be awarded indefinitely.” “The Nobel Foundation is responsible for ensuring that the size of the prize can remain at high level long time“,” said Lars Heikensten, executive director of the fund. IN last years the income received from the use of capital was not enough even to pay the cash component of the bonus, reimburse the costs of the award ceremony, and also to maintain the administrative apparatus. To optimize expenses, the fund, in addition to reducing the size of the premium, also promises to take other saving measures.

What is the Nobel Prize? We can give a short answer to this question. This is a prestigious award given annually to writers, scientists and public figures. But on what basis are these outstanding individuals awarded? Who makes the final decision on awarding a prize to a particular candidate? Comprehensive answers to these questions are contained in the article. The names of historical figures and writers who were once nominated for the Nobel Prize (Russian and foreign) are also given here.

Who is Nobel?

Until 1901, no one knew what the Nobel Prize was. Because it simply did not exist. The award ceremony was organized several years after the death of Alfred Nobel. What preceded this event?

The Swedish engineer, chemist and inventor was born in 1833, in the family of an impoverished descendant of the scientist Olof Rudbeck. Since childhood, Alfred was interested in technology and science. Until the age of sixteen, he lived with his parents in Russia. True, the future philanthropist was born in Stockholm. Nobel the father moved to St. Petersburg with his family in 1833.

Great Inventor

Alfred left his father's house at the age of 16. By that time, the financial situation had improved somewhat, and the parents were able to give their inquisitive son a good education. In Europe, Nobel intensively studied chemistry. He was especially interested in explosives, a field of science whose research led Nobel to the invention of dynamite in 1863. Four years later, the scientist received the corresponding patent, which allowed him to subsequently become one of richest people peace.

Without going into details professional activity famous Swede, let's move on to the final part of his biography. It is this that will bring us closer to obtaining a detailed answer to the question of what the Nobel Prize is.

Merchant of Death

Scientists tend to have a fanatical attitude towards their own work. Sometimes they commit the greatest crimes in their research without even noticing it. Nobel produced and widely advertised his product without thinking about the consequences of the development of dynamite production. For this he was nicknamed “the millionaire on blood.” This is how posterity would have remembered the restless researcher under an offensive nickname, if not for one incident.

One fine spring morning (although perhaps it happened in the winter frost or autumn storm) a world-famous scientist woke up in his Stockholm apartment and, as usual, fondly remembered the passion of his life - dynamite. In a pleasant mood, Nobel went into the living room to drink a cup of espresso and think new plan to improve the production technology of a mixture based on nitroglycerin. The scientist opened a fresh newspaper... and the thoughts caressing the soul dissipated like yesterday’s dream. On the first page he saw a message about his own death.

The world community would never have known what the Nobel Prize was if not for the mistake of an absent-minded reporter who, when writing an obituary, confused the creator of dynamite with his brother. Nobel was not upset about the death of his relative. He wasn't too upset by his own obituary either. Nobel did not like the definition that the “scribbler” gave him for the sake of a catchphrase - “merchant of death.”

Nobel Foundation

In order to change the course of events and not remain in the memory of descendants as a Millionaire on Blood or a Dynamite King, Alfred Nobel immediately sat down to draw up a will.

So, the document is ready. What is it talking about? After Nobel's death, all his property must be sold, the proceeds deposited in an account in a reliable bank. The resulting profit goes to a newly established fund, which, in turn, distributes it annually according to a strict scheme, dividing it into five equal parts. Each of them constitutes a monetary prize due to a scientist, writer or fighter for world peace. In his will, Nobel emphasized that the choice of a candidate should in no way be influenced by his nationality or citizenship.

The millionaire's relatives were furious when they learned about the will, and for a long time tried to challenge its authenticity. But that's a completely different story.

Rules for selecting a candidate

The Nobel Prize winner can be a physicist, chemist, scientist who made a discovery in the field of medicine or physiology, or the author of an outstanding literary work.

A public figure who has made a significant contribution to the abolition of slavery and the unity of nations is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. A committee named after the scientist is responsible for it. The remaining awards are approved by the following organizations:

• Karolinska Institute (prize in medicine or physiology).
• Swedish Academy (Literature Prize).
• Royal Swedish Academy (prizes in chemistry and physics).

The prize cannot be awarded posthumously. But if, of course, the applicant died after the committee’s announcement and did not live to see the award ceremony, it remains with him. But what if there is no worthy candidate from a particular field? In this case, the prize is not awarded, and the funds are retained until the next year.

Cash bonus amount

The amount is different every year. After all, the profit from transactions from which bonuses are paid cannot be fixed. So, in 2016 it amounted to $1.1 million. And in 2007 - $1.56 million. In addition, several years ago the fund decided to reduce the premium to 20% in order to prevent a decrease in the organization's capital in the future.

It is worth saying that nomination for an award is an interesting and mysterious process. It is attended not only by members of the organizations listed above, but also by more than three thousand people (usually researchers) working in certain fields, as well as former laureates. However, the names of the nominees are kept secret for 50 years.

The presentation of the Nobel Prize is a very solemn event, attended by more than a thousand people. The banquet menu and the decoration of the hall in which it is held is a separate topic that cannot be covered in one article. Therefore, let’s move on to the most interesting part of our story, namely the names of the winners of the most prestigious award. Since their list is very extensive, we will name the most famous personalities, and first of all our compatriots.

Nobel Prize in Literature

No matter how talented a writer may be, he will not be awarded this prize if he does not strive to convey to his readers the bright, eternal. It is received by humanists, idealists, fighters for justice and those who have made a significant contribution to the development of literature. A total of 107 awards were awarded (by 2017). In 1904, 1917, 1966 and 1974, committee members were unable to find a worthy candidate.

Thus, in 1933, Ivan Bunin was awarded a prize for excellence in promoting the development of classical Russian prose. Boris Pasternak a quarter of a century later - for high achievements in lyric poetry and continuation of the traditions of the epic novel. It is worth saying that the title of the work was not included in the justification for the award. Nevertheless, the author of Doctor Zhivago was subjected to severe oppression in his homeland. It was considered good form to scold Pasternak's novel. At the same time, only a few people read it. After all, the book was banned in the USSR for a long time.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was awarded the prize due to his high moral strength and adherence to the traditions of the Russian epic novel. He did not show up for the ceremony. Not because I was busy, but because they didn’t let me in. Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich is the last Russian-speaking Nobel Prize laureate. Writer Mikhail Sholokhov was also awarded.

Andrey Sakharov

What Nobel Prize was awarded to the Soviet scientist, one of the creators of the hydrogen bomb? Prizes in physics or perhaps chemistry? No. Andrei Sakharov is a peace prize laureate. He received it for his human rights activities and speeches against the development of nuclear weapons.

As already mentioned, the names of the nominees become known only after 50 years. Their number once included Leo Tolstoy, Erich Maria Remarque, which is not surprising. Tolstoy is a great humanist. Remarque actively criticized the fascist dictatorship in his books. But some of the names of the Nobel Peace Prize nominees that have become famous are truly puzzling. Hitler and Mussolini. The first was nominated in 1939, the second four years earlier. Lenin could also have been nominated for the Peace Prize. However, the First World War interfered.

One of the key events in the social and intellectual life of Sweden is Nobel Day - the annual presentation of the Nobel Prize, which takes place on December 10 in Stockholm's Studhuset (city hall).

These awards are internationally recognized as the most honorable civilian distinction. The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Economics are presented to the laureates by His Majesty the King of Sweden at a ceremony held on the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel (December 10, 1896).

Each laureate receives a gold medal with the image of Nobel and a diploma. Currently, the Nobel Prize is worth 10 million Swedish kronor (about 1.05 million euros or $1.5 million).

The Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Economics are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Prizes in Medicine are awarded by the Karolinska Institutet, and the Swedish Academy awards the Prize in Literature. The only non-Swedish prize, the Peace Prize, is awarded in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

By the way, Nobel signed the last version of the famous will almost a year before his death - on November 27, 1895 in Paris. It was announced in January 1897: “All my movable and immovable property must be converted by my executors into liquid assets, and the capital thus collected must be placed in a reliable bank. The income from the investments should belong to a fund, which will distribute them annually in the form of bonuses to those who, during the previous year, have brought the greatest benefit to humanity ... The specified interest must be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: one part - to the one who makes the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; the other - to the one who makes the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; the third - to the one who makes the most important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; the fourth - to the one who creates the most outstanding literary work of an idealistic direction; fifth - to the one who has made the most significant contribution to the unity of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of the size of existing armies and the promotion of peace congresses ... It is my special desire that, in awarding prizes, no consideration will be given to the nationality of the candidates ... "

Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish inventor, industrial magnate, linguist, philosopher and humanist, was born in 1833 in Stockholm into a Swedish family. In 1842, his family moved to St. Petersburg, the capital of what was then Russia. Nobel received an excellent education of international class. He read, wrote, spoke and understood equally well in 5 European languages: Swedish, Russian, English, French and German. Nobel went down in history as the inventor of dynamite, a substance that played an important role in the development of world industry.

During his life, Alfred Nobel became the owner of 355 patents, which formed the basis of about 90 enterprises in 20 countries. His brothers Robert and Louis, who worked in Russia and later in Baku in the oil fields, contributed to his fortune. Alfred Nobel bequeathed $4 million (currently equivalent to $173 million) to be used as prizes in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine. These areas were close to him, and in them he expected the greatest progress.

He did not bequeath prizes to architects, musicians and composers. Literature prizes also reflect Nobel's personal interests. In his youth he wrote poetry and poems in English and Swedish, and throughout his life he was a voracious reader in all languages ​​accessible to him.The prizes in the field of science and literature were to be awarded in Sweden, and the peace prize - in Norway. The history of the Nobel Prize, the fund of which amounted to 31 million crowns, began with this will.

A year later, on December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel died in Italy from a stroke. Later this date will be declared Nobel Day. After opening the will, it turned out that almost all of Nobel’s fortune was inaccessible to his relatives, who were counting on this money.

Even the Swedish king Oscar II showed dissatisfaction, who did not want finances to leave the country, even in the form of awards for world achievements. Objective bureaucratic difficulties also arose. The practical implementation of Nobel's will turned out to be very difficult, and under certain conditions the prizes might not take place.

But soon all obstacles were overcome, and in June 1898, Nobel’s relatives signed an agreement to renounce further claims to the capital. The main provisions related to the awarding of prizes also received approval from the Swedish government. In 1900, the Charter of the Nobel Foundation and the rules regulating the activities of the Nobel structures being created were signed by the King of Sweden. The prize was first awarded in 1901.

The Nobel Prize has become the most prestigious prize in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, economics, literature and efforts to establish peace among nations. It is paid once a year from the funds of the fund created according to the will of Alfred Nobel. More than 600 people became Nobel Prize laureates during the 20th century.

Awarding awards does not always meet with universal approval. In 1953, Sir Winston Churchill received a literary prize, while the famous American writer Graham Greene never received it.

Each country has its own national heroes and often the award or non-award is disappointing. The famous Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren was never nominated for the prize, and the Indian Mahatma Gandhi never won the prize. But Henry Kissinger won the Peace Prize in 1973 - a year after the Vietnam War. There are known cases of refusal of the prize for reasons of principle: the Frenchman Jean Paul Sartre refused the literary prize in 1964, and the Vietnamese Le Dick Tho did not want to share it with Kissinger.

The Nobel Prizes are unique awards and are particularly prestigious. The question is often asked why these awards attract so much more attention than any other awards of the 20th century. One reason may be the fact that they were introduced in a timely manner and that they marked some fundamental historical changes in society. Alfred Nobel was a true internationalist, and from the very foundation of the prizes named after him, the international nature of the awards made a special impression. Strict rules for the selection of laureates, which began to apply since the establishment of the prizes, also played a role in recognizing the importance of the awards in question. As soon as the election of the current year's laureates ends in December, preparations begin for the election of next year's laureates. Such year-round activities, in which so many intellectuals from all over the world participate, orient scientists, writers and public figures to work in the interests of social development, which precedes the awarding of prizes for “contribution to human progress.”

The first Nobel banquet took place on December 10, 1901, simultaneously with the first presentation of the prize. Currently, the banquet is held in the Blue Hall of the City Hall. 1300-1400 people are invited to the banquet. Dress code - tailcoats and evening dresses. Chefs from the Town Hall Cellar (a restaurant at the Town Hall) and culinary specialists who have ever received the title of Chef of the Year take part in the development of the menu. In September, three menu options are tasted by members of the Nobel Committee, who decide what will be served “at Nobel’s table.” The only dessert that is always known is ice cream, but until the evening of December 10, no one except a narrow circle of initiates knows what kind.

For the Nobel banquet, specially designed dinnerware and tablecloths are used. A portrait of Nobel is woven on the corner of each tablecloth and napkin. Dishes self made: along the edge of the plate there is a stripe of three colors of the Swedish Empire - blue, green and gold. The stem of the crystal wine glass is decorated in the same color scheme. The banquet service was commissioned for $1.6 million for the 90th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes in 1991. It consists of 6,750 glasses, 9,450 knives and forks, 9,550 plates and one tea cup. The last one is for Princess Liliana, who doesn't drink coffee. The cup is stored in a special beautiful wooden box with the princess's monogram. The saucer from the cup was stolen.

The tables in the hall are arranged with mathematical precision, and the hall is decorated with 23,000 flowers sent from San Remo. All movements of the waiters are strictly timed down to the second. For example, the ceremonial bringing in of ice cream takes exactly three minutes from the moment the first waiter appears with a tray at the door until the last of them stands at his table. Other dishes take two minutes to serve.

Exactly at 19 o'clock on December 210, the guests of honor, led by the king and queen, descend the stairs to the Blue Hall, where all the invitees are already sitting. The Swedish king is holding a Nobel laureate on his arm, and if there is not one, the wife of a Nobel laureate in physics. The first to toast is to His Majesty, the second to the memory of Alfred Nobel. After this, the secret of the menu is revealed. The menu is printed in small print on cards included with each location and features Alfred Nobel's profile in gold embossing. There is music throughout the dinner - very famous musicians are invited, including Rostropovich and Magnus Lindgren in 2003.

The banquet ends with the delivery of ice cream, crowned with a chocolate monogram “N” like a crown. At 22:15 the Swedish king gives the signal for the start of dancing in the Golden Hall of the Town Hall. At 1:30 the guests leave.

Absolutely all dishes from the menu, from 1901 onwards, can be ordered at the Stockholm Town Hall restaurant. This lunch costs a little less than $200. Every year they are ordered by 20 thousand visitors, and traditionally the most popular menu is the last Nobel banquet.

The Nobel concert is one of the three components of the Nobel week, along with the presentation of prizes and the Nobel dinner. It is considered one of the main musical events of the year in Europe and the main musical event of the year in the Scandinavian countries. The most prominent classical musicians of our time take part in it. In fact, there are two Nobel concerts: one is held on December 8 of each year in Stockholm, the second in Oslo at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The Nobel concert is broadcast on several international television channels on December 31 of each year.Quote from the message Vladimir_Grinchuv

Nobel Prize

8 million crowns this year is 98% of the monetary component of the very first Nobel Prize, which was awarded in 1901, experts have calculated. Each prize cannot be awarded to more than three persons. If two or three laureates are awarded in one scientific discovery, then the reward amount is divided equally. During the ceremony, the laureate makes a speech. The rest of the awards are presented in Stockholm by the King of Sweden.

The size of the Nobel Prize has changed over the years and often depended not only on the instructions of Alfred Nobel himself, but also on the economic situation, fund and other conditions. According to the rules of the Nobel Prize statute, the amount is initially divided by the number of projects, and only then by their participants. The fifth rule of the statute states that the award does not have to be given, so in theory it could not be given to anyone.

Monetary equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Reference

Premiums are paid from interest, mainly from securities and real estate. A tenth of the income is allocated annually to increase the main fund. The remainder is divided into five parts and made available to the awarding institutions. From each portion, an amount is withheld to cover expenses related to the activities of the Nobel Foundation and the Nobel Prize Award Committees, as well as to finance Nobel institutions. In 2003, the Nobel Prize was worth 1.35 million dollars, in 2004 - 1.32 million dollars, in 2005 - 1.3 million dollars.

Several years ago, the fund decided to reduce the premium to 20% in order to prevent a decrease in the organization's capital in the future. It is attended not only by members of the organizations listed above, but also by more than three thousand people (usually researchers) working in certain fields, as well as former laureates. The presentation of the Nobel Prize is a very solemn event, attended by more than a thousand people. Therefore, let’s move on to the most interesting part of our story, namely the names of the winners of the most prestigious award.

No matter how talented a writer may be, he will not be awarded this prize if he does not strive to convey to his readers the bright, eternal. A total of 107 awards were awarded (by 2017). In 1904, 1917, 1966 and 1974, committee members were unable to find a worthy candidate. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was awarded the prize due to his high moral strength and adherence to the traditions of the Russian epic novel. Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich is the last Russian-speaking Nobel Prize laureate.

The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious and most famous prize in the world. It has been awarded annually in Stockholm and Oslo since 1901 and has gathered many unusual facts during this time.

1. THE PRIZE WAS BORN TO DRIVE EYES AWAY FROM NOBEL’S DISCOVERIES

The creator of the prize, Alfred Nobel, was an avid pacifist, which did not stop him from amassing an impressive capital from the arms trade and the invention of dynamite. He believed that the very presence of dangerous weapons should intimidate the enemy, preventing wars, terrorist attacks and bloodshed. The epiphany was painful. When the newspapers ahead of schedule They buried Alfred Nobel, confusing him with his brother Ludwig, who died in St. Petersburg, he was greatly surprised by the morning headlines: “Death Merchant”, “Bloody Rich Man”, “Dynamite King”. In order not to go down in history as a millionaire on blood, Alfred Nobel immediately called a lawyer and rewrote his will, which stated that after death, all multimillion-dollar property should be placed in a reliable bank and entrusted to a foundation that would divide the income from investments into five equal parts and award them annually as a bonus . The idea was a success: now few people remember who invented dynamite, but even a child knows about the Nobel Prize.

2. ECONOMY WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF PRIZES

Initially, the prize was awarded in five categories: chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and achievements in peacekeeping. Later, in 1969, the Swedish Bank also added an economics bonus to this list. Since the field of economics was not listed in the will, it is awarded not from the Nobel Foundation, but from the Swedish Bank Foundation, but at the Nobel Prize ceremony. Nobel's descendants do not support adding an economic field to the prize. “First of all,” they say, “the whole point of the award is destroyed. If it is named after Nobel, then it should be awarded only in those areas that Nobel himself listed in his will. Secondly, Nobel simply did not like economists and it was not by chance that he ignored them in his will.”

3. PREMIUM IS DROPPING IN PRICE

In terms of current exchange rates, when converting Nobel's movable and immovable property into cash equivalent, the fund received about $250 million. Part of the capital was immediately invested in securities, and prizes were awarded to the laureates from the profits. The fund's current wealth is $3 billion. Despite the growth of the capital of the Nobel Prize fund, in 2012 it was decided to cut it by 20% (from 1.4 million to 1.1 million dollars). Such a move, according to the directors of the fund, will help create a reliable financial cushion and ensure a high monetary level of the bonus for many years.

4. UNUSUAL WINNERS AND NOMINEES

The prize was very rarely awarded to anyone a second time. In all the years of its existence, this happened only 4 times. Federic Segner received both prizes in chemistry, John Bardeen in physics, Linus Pauling in chemistry and the Peace Prize. The only woman to receive two Nobel Prizes was Marie Skłodowska-Curie.

Maria Skłodowska-Curie

Stanley Williams, leader criminal group Crips, has been nominated for the Nobel Prize 9 times: as a writer and as a humanitarian. Initially, the Crips group opposed police lawlessness on the streets of Los Angeles, but when it grew, it was responsible for several police deaths and, for some reason, a bank robbery. Stanley Williams was arrested and sentenced to death penalty. The books that Stanley wrote while in prison became bestsellers, and he even received a US Presidential Award. This still did not pity the heart of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in 2005 the leader of the Crips gang was executed.

5. PRIZE IN MATHEMATICS

Many people know that the Nobel Prize is not awarded in the field of mathematics. Many are also sure that the reason for this is Nobel’s beloved, who went to see the mathematician. Indeed, in the will, mathematics was initially included in the list of fields in which the prize was awarded, but was later crossed out by Nobel himself. In fact, there is no evidence of a romantic story associated with Nobel's refusal to give a prize to mathematicians. It is more likely that the main contender for the prize in mathematics before Nobel's death was Mittag-Leffler, whom the founder of the prize had long disliked for his annoying solicitation of donations for Stockholm University. Deciding to be true to himself and not give Mittag-Leffler money, Nobel crossed mathematics off the list and replaced it with the Peace Prize.

6. BANQUET AFTER THE PRIZES

The banquet is held immediately after the awards ceremony in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall. The chefs of the town hall restaurant and the best chefs, who were awarded the title “Cook of the Year” in the year of the award, are involved in preparing the festive dinner. Three months before the banquet, members of the Nobel Committee taste three types of menu and decide which one is worthy of being treated to guests at the banquet. Ice cream is traditionally served for dessert, but its type is kept a closely guarded secret until the evening of the ceremony.

The hall is decorated with more than 20,000 flowers from San Remo, and the movements of the waiters are rehearsed down to the second. Exactly at 7 pm, the guests of honor, led by the monarchs, descend into the Blue Hall. The Swedish king is holding a Nobel laureate on his arm, and if there is none, then the wife of a physics laureate.

The banquet service has its own unique design: it is made in three colors of the Swedish Empire style: blue, green and gold and consists of 6750 glasses, 9450 knives and forks, 9550 plates and one tea cup for Princess Liliana, who did not drink coffee. After the princess's death, the cup was kept in a special mahogany box with the princess's monogram. The saucer from the cup was stolen not long ago.

7. NOBEL IN SPACE

Most often, the name of Alfred Nobel is immortalized by astronauts. In 1970, the International Astronomical Union named a crater on the Moon after Alfred Nobel, albeit on its dark side. And in 1983, asteroid number 6032 was named in his honor.

8. WHEN PRIZES ARE NOT AWARDED

If there are no worthy candidates for a prize in any field, it is simply not awarded. This happened five times with the medicine prize, four times with the physics prize, and most of all with the Peace Prize. According to the rules adopted in 1974, the prize can only be awarded during the lifetime of the laureate. The rule was broken only once, in 2011, when medical laureate Ralph Stayman died of cancer two hours before the presentation.

9. CASH EQUIVALENT OF THE PRIZE AND STRANGE WAYS TO SPEND IT

The cash equivalent of the award is variable, but usually amounts to more than a million US dollars. Not every scientist spends such a sum on the development of his scientific research. Ivan Bunin, with all the scope of his Russian soul, spent money on parties. The poet René François Armand Sully-Prudhomme organized his own prize, which was not as successful as the Nobel Prize, but existed for six years and was awarded to masters of poetry. The Hungarian writer Irme Kertész gave his prize to his wife, thus appreciating her heroic loyalty to him in difficulties and poverty. “Let her buy herself dresses and jewelry,” the writer commented on his decision, “she deserves it.”

Paul Greengard, who researched the relationship between nerve cells, which later led to the creation of antidepressants, used the award money to create his own Pearl Meister Greengard award. It is often presented as an analogue of the Nobel Prize for women, because in the scientific world, according to Greenard, there is enormous discrimination against women. The scientist dedicated the award to his mother who died during childbirth.

10. PEACE PRIZE

The most controversial and politically charged of the six areas in which the prize is awarded is the Peace Prize. At different times, such undisputed villains as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin were nominated for the award.

Last year, in 2014, Vladimir Putin was nominated for it. Seventeen-year-old Malala Yusufai from Pakistan, who took victory from Putin, became the youngest Nobel Prize winner. Her fight for girls' education in Islamic countries led to worldwide recognition and a prestigious award. Radical Islamic groups declared jihad (holy war) on the girl and immediately after the award they tried to kill her, but Malala survived and continues to fight for women’s rights to education.

Unlike all other areas, the Peace Prize is awarded not in Stockholm, but in Oslo.