Track3_10

Track 3 .10

Signpost A2 Plus B1

Unit 3

Legendary Figures

More to Share

Alfred Nobel

Famous scientist, inventor, businessman, and founder of the Nobel Prize,

Alfred Nobel was born into a family in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1833.

The same year that he was born, his father Emmanuel Nobel's business

suffered losses and had to be closed.

And in 1837 he decided to carry on with his business somewhere else

and left for Finland and Russia.

Alfred's mother was left in Stockholm to take care of the family.

With his success in Russia, Emmanuel managed to move his family

to St. Petersburg in 1842.

Alfred and his three brothers were given first -class education

with the help of private tutors there.

Their lessons included natural sciences, languages, and literature.

At the age of 17, Alfred could speak and write in Swedish,

Russian, French, English, and German.

Alfred was interested in literature, chemistry, and physics most.

However, his father was not pleased with Alfred's interest in poetry,

so he decided to send his son abroad to study and become a chemical engineer.

In Paris, Alfred worked in the private laboratory of a famous chemist.

There he met a young Italian chemist, Ascaneo Sobrero.

Three years earlier, Sobrero invented nitroglycerin, a highly explosive liquid.

Alfred became interested in nitroglycerin and how it could be used in construction work.

When he returned to Russia after his studies, he worked together with his father

to develop nitroglycerin as a useful explosive.

In 1863, the business of Alfred's father went badly,

and he decided to move back to Sweden.

After the Nobel family's return to Sweden in 1863,

Alfred concentrated on developing nitroglycerin as an explosive.

Sadly, these experiments resulted in accidents that killed several people,

including Alfred's younger brother, Emil.

Later, the government decided to ban such experiments within the Stockholm city limits,

but Alfred did not give up his experiments, and in 1864, he was able to start mass production of nitroglycerin.

However, he went on experimenting with different additives to make the production much safer.

Alfred found that mixing nitroglycerin with sand would turn the liquid into a paste,

which could be shaped into rods.

These rods could then be inserted into drilling holes.

The invention was made in 1866, and he named it dynamite.

He also invented a detonator, a device used to explode dynamite.

All these inventions reduced the cost of lots of construction work, like drilling tunnels,

blasting rocks, and building bridges.

Dynamite and detonating caps became so popular that Alfred built factories in 90 different places.

He also experimented in making synthetic rubber and leather and artificial silk.

By the time of his death in 1896, he had 355 patents.

Alfred Nobel died in San Ramo, Italy.

In his last will, he wrote that much of his fortune was to be used to give prizes to those who had done their best for humanity

in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace.

In 1901, the first Nobel prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature,

were first awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Peace Prize in Christiania, now Oslo, Norway.

Nobel Prize facts.

At the Nobel Prize award ceremonies on 10 December, the Nobel laureates receive three things.

A Nobel diploma, a Nobel medal, and a document confirming the Nobel Prize amount.

Each Nobel diploma is a unique work of art created by Swedish and Norwegian artists and calligraphers.

The Nobel medals are handmade of 18 karat recycled gold.

Jean -Paul Satier awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in literature,

declined the prize because he had consistently declined all official honors.

The Curies were a very successful Nobel Prize family.

Marie Curie herself was awarded two Nobel prizes.

Turkish author Orhan Pamuk received the 2006 Nobel Prize in literature,

and biochemist Aziz Sunjaj shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in chemistry with two others.