Fascinating facts about Alfred Bernhard
Nobel
inventor of dynamite in 1866. |
Alfred Nobel |
AT A GLANCE:
In 1866, Alfred Nobel discovered that mixing nitroglycerine with silica
would turn the liquid into a paste which could be shaped into rods of a
size and form suitable for insertion into drilling holes. In 1867 he
patented this material under the name of dynamite. To be able to
detonate the dynamite rods he also invented a detonator (blasting cap)
which could be ignited by lighting a fuse. The market for dynamite and
detonating caps grew very rapidly and Alfred Nobel also proved himself
to be a very skillful entrepreneur and businessman.
Inventor: |
Alfred Bernhard Nobel |
|
Criteria: |
First to
invent. First to patent. Entrepreneur. |
Birth: |
October 21,
1833, Stockholm, Sweden |
Death: |
December
10, 1896, Sanremo, Italy |
Nationality: |
Swedish
|
|
Alfred
Bernhard Nobel,
Swedish chemist, inventor, and philanthropist, born in Stockholm. After
receiving an education in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and in the United
States, where he studied mechanical engineering, he returned to St.
Petersburg to work under his father, developing mines, torpedoes, and
other explosives. In a family-owned factory in Heleneborg, Sweden, he
sought to develop a safe way to handle nitroglycerin, after a factory
explosion in 1864 killed his younger brother and four other people. In
1866 Nobel achieved his goal; by using an organic packing material to
reduce the volatility of the nitroglycerin, he produced what he called
dynamite. He later produced ballistite, one of the first smokeless
powders. At the time of his death he controlled factories for the
manufacture of explosives in many parts of the world. His will provided
that the major portion of his $9 million estate be set up as a fund to
establish yearly prizes for merit in physics, chemistry, medicine and
physiology, literature, and world peace. |
TO LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
The Entrepreneur from The Great Idea Finder
The Philanthropist from
The Great Idea Finder
Prolific Inventors
from The Great Idea Finder
Weapons History
from The Great Idea Finder
Historic Patents 1836 - 1975 from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Alfred Nobel: A
Biography
Kenne Fant / Hardcover 342 pages / Arcade Publishers; (1993)
The inventor of dynamite and smokeless explosives wasn't consistently ambivalent
about where technical progress was heading.
The Nobel Prize: The First 100 Years
by Agneta Wallin Levinovitz, Nils Ringertz / Paperback: 248 pages / World Scientific Pub
Co; (2001)
In celebration of the centennial of the Nobel Prize in 2001, this book offers a
clear perspective on the development of human civilization over the past hundred years.
Cultures of Creativity: The Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize
by Ulf Larsson / Paperback: 228 pages / Science History Pubns (April 16,
2001)
Published in conjunction with the Centennial
Exhibit of the Nobel Prize, this collection of essays and historical
photos explores the achievements of Nobel Laureates from diverse fields
and describes the inspirational milieus in which they worked.
ON THE SCREEN:
Dynamite
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
The solid explosive invented by Alfred Nobel has not only changed the
way we live, it has changed the face of the earth.
Inventions of War
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
War spurs innovation and invention. At no other time is there a more
focused effort on common goals, with a free flow of money and manpower
supporting the most brilliant minds in the name of developing devices
that will help bring about the swift and successful end to the fight.
ON THE WEB:
Alfred Nobel Biography
His family was descended from Olof Rudbeck, the best-known technical genius of Sweden's
17th century era as a great power in northern Europe.
(URL: www.nobel.se/nobel/alfred-nobel)
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Located at Inventure Place, the online home of creative minds. Inducted Alfred Nobel in
October, 1999 for his invention of Improved Explosive Compounds Dynamite, Patent Number
78,317
(URL: www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/112.html)
Inventing Dynamite
A meeting with Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero, inventor of
nitroglycerine, led to Nobel's invention of dynamite. Because
nitroglycerine and its production were difficult to control -- an
explosion killed Nobel's brother Emil in 1864 -- Nobel tried adding
different substances to make it safer
(URL: www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/nobel.100/overview.html)
The Nobel
Prize
The Prize Winners are announced in October every year. They receive
their awards (a prize amount, a gold medal and a diploma) on December
10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
(URL: nobelprize.org/index.html)
Encarta Encyclopedia
The online version is your gateway to 16,000 abriged references, articles and world atlas.
(URL: encarta.msn.com/)
NOBEL e-MUSEUM
The official web site of The Nobel Foundation
(URL:www.nobel.se)
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"The whole of my
remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way:
the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall
constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed
in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall
have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind." - Excerpt from the Will
of Alfred Nobel DID YOU
KNOW?
- A holder of more than 355 patents, he also wrote poetry and
drama and even seriously considered becoming a writer.
- Alfred Nobel was born in 1833 in
Stockholm, Sweden. His family was descended from Olof Rudbeck, the
best-known technical genius of Sweden's 17th century era as a great
power in northern Europe.
- He died of a cerebral haemorrhage in his home in San Remo,
Italy on December 10, 1896.
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Reference
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October 18, 2006. |
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