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 The
Nobel Prize is considered the world’s most famous prize. It is an international award administered by the
Nobel Foundation in Stockholm,
Sweden. Since 1901, the Nobel Prize
has been awarded every year for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. The awards were established
through the last will of Alfred Nobel, who
left a fund to provide annual prizes in the five
areas listed above. These prizes were
first given in 1901. This week, let’s learn all about the world-famous prize!
The First Nobel Prizes
Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel is the
founder of the Nobel Prize.
On December 10, 1901, the 5th anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s
death, the first set of Nobel
Prizes was awarded.
 The
Youngest & Oldest Nobel Laureates
To date, the youngest Nobel
laureate is Lawrence Bragg. He was just 25 years old when he received the Nobel Prize
in Physics with his father in 1915. The oldest Nobel laureate to date
is Leonid Hurwicz. He was 90 years old in 2007 when he won the Nobel
laureate in Economics.
The First Korean Nobel Prize Winner
Former President Kim Dae-jung won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for
his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea
and in East Asia, and for peace and reconciliation with North
Korea in particular. The Peace
Prize focuses on efforts to create a more peaceful world.
Nobel Prize Facts
■ Between 1901 and 2000, 673
Nobel Prizes were awarded to individuals and organizations. Together,
they represent a major contribution to the cultural and scientific history of the 1900s.
■ Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen who discovered X-rays won the
first Nobel Prize in Physics.
■ So far, a total of 35 women have
received the Nobel Prize. Marie Curie is one of them. She is also
the only woman to receive the prize twice ? first in physics in 1903
and then in chemistry in 1911. Other prizes have been awarded to 675
men and 19 organizations.
 ■ The Nobel
Prize is currently worth $1,266,450
in each prize category.
■ As the number of researchers around the world
increases, the prize amount
is often shared by several laureates in the
areas of physics, chemistry and medicine.
■ Up until 2000, the average number of laureates
per year was 6.73. After
2000, this figure has increased to 10.2
laureates per year.
■ Before the Second World War, the laureates were predominantly European. North
Americans have dominated since the war.
■ Up to 1980, the Nobel medals, each weighing about 200g and with
a diameter of 66 mm, were made
of 23-karat gold. Since then, they have been
made of 18-karat green gold plated with 24-karat gold. |
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