Sun Bingo’s look at the history of the Nobel Prizes – on their 123rd birthday
ON this day in 1901, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded.
Since 10th December 1901, the Nobel Prizes have celebrated the top achievements across numerous fields.
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The aim is to “reward the discoveries that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”.
There are six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology and Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economic Sciences.
Between 1901 and 2024, the Nobel Prizes and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel have been awarded 627 times to 1,012 people and organisations.
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Given that there have been some repeat winners, an estimated 976 individuals and 28 different organisations have won the converted prizes.
Start of Nobel Prizes
In his last will, Alfred Nobel, a celebrated Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor and industrialist, declared that he wanted the majority of his fortune to be used to endow “prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”.
It is believed that the value of his bequeathed assets would be worth approximately $160 million today.
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While his exact reasoning is not known, it is thought that Nobel’s philanthropic gesture was, in part, to distance his legacy from being solely focused on his invention of dynamite.
However, not everyone agreed that the prizes were a good idea.
After Nobel’s death in 1896, it took four years for the executors of his will to convince all parties to honour the scientist’s posthumous wishes.
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Finally, the first prizes could take place on 10th December 1901. This is the anniversary of the day Nobel died.
First winners
Among the first cohort of winners was Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen for his discovery of X-rays, and Emil von Behring for his work on serum therapy, particularly its use against diphtheria.
Each of the category winners was awarded SEK150,000 which approximately equates to £668,000 today.
Every Nobel Prize winner has made a positive contribution towards the advancement of humanity. Here’s a few of the best-known winners.
Physics
Marie Curie. In 1903, Curie was part of the team that won the prize for the discovery of radioactivity.
Albert Einstein. In 1921, Einstein was awarded the physics prize for his discovery of the photoelectric effect and its explanation.
Chemistry
Marie Curie. Not only was Curie the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, but she is also one of only two people to win the prizes in different fields.
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She won the chemistry prize in 1911 for discovering the elements radium and polonium, and investigating their properties.
Irene Joliot-Curie. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Joliot-Curie shared the 1935 chemistry prize with her husband, Frédéric, for their synthesis of new radioactive elements.
Physiology and Medicine
Sir Alexander Fleming. Fleming’s discovery of penicillin earned him and his team the physiology and medicine prize in 1945.
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. You might not know the scientists’ names but you’ll almost definitely know about the product that won them the prize.
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They were awarded the 2023 prize “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”.
So, anyone who got a covid-19 jab has these scientists and their teams to thank.
Literature
Bob Dylan. For “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”, Bob Dylan received the literature prize in 2016.
Peace
The Red Cross. The International Committee of the Red Cross has won the Nobel Prize more times than any other person or organisation.
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It has won three: 1917 (for services during the First World War), 1944 (for services during the Second World War) and in 1963 (when the organisation turned 100).
UNICEF. Henry Labouisse, the husband of Marie Curie’s other daughter, was director of UNICEF when it won the peace prize in 1965.
Malala Yousafzai. At 17 years old, Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Prize winner in history when she shared the peace prize in 2014.
The prize was for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people, and for the right of all children to access education.
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About the author
Katrina Vasey - Bingo Editor, The Sun
After graduating from Southampton University with a degree in English Literature, Katrina Vasey worked as a Content Editor for Law Business Research's publication the International Law Office. Katrina joined The Sun in 2022 as the Bingo Editor, covering the four gaming platforms: Sun Bingo, Fabulous Bingo, Sun Vegas and Fabulous Vegas.