The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the fields of chemistry, peace, physiology, medicine, physics, literature, and economics. And yet, it falls short of other award ceremonies such as the Grammys, SAG, Golden Globes, and other media-based awards. But the Nobel Peace Prize has made history.
The Nobel Prize award ceremony originated in 1901 as part of the last will of the scientist, philanthropist, and inventor Alfred Nobel. Alfred Nobel was born on October 21st, 1833 and then later died in December 1896. Within Alfred Nobel’s lifetime, he broke the boundaries of science and dedicated his life to his practice. Not only a scientist, Alfred Nobel also dabbled in He was best known for his invention of dynamite and being the holder of over 355 patents. Forever the science enthusiast, in Alfred Nobel’s last will he added that the remainder of his assets should be used to create the Nobel Peace Prize organization with the following categories: physics, chemistry, physiological or medicine, literature, and peace.
These categories’ awards would be distributed by certain Institutes within their respective field. A committee will be placed to then choose the nominations and winners of the award with no regard to race or gender, “but that the prize be awarded to the worthiest person, whether or not they are Scandinavian.” Not only submitting his legacy but also contributing to the recognition of the scientists who have made unimaginable discoveries in their field starting in 1901.
In 1901, the first Nobel Prize in the category of Chemistry was Jacobus H. van Hoff. He received the award for the discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure. Hoff was a Dutch chemist who was born in 1852. He wrote many pamphlets and journals of his work and taught elementary lectures to many students during his lifetime. The most recent winners of the Nobel Prize in chemistry were Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Aleksey Yekimov in 2023. Bawendi, Brus, and Yekimov received the award for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. Bawendi is known for his work on almost perfect quantum dots of various sizes. Brus, in close work with Bawendi, was nominated for his Nobel prize specifically for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. Additionally, He further helped the work of understanding quantum dots in electronics as well as Yekimov.
Furthermore, in 1901, the Nobel Prize in Physics was given to Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen. He was nominated and received the award for his work and discoveries of services rays subsequently named after him. Rontgen studied cathode radiation which then further worked on x-ray radiation. In 2023, Pierre Agostini, Ference Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier were awarded the Nobel Prize due to their experimental attosecond pulse of light for the study of electronic dynamics in matter. Agostini was one of the producers and investigators of consecutive light pulses. Krausz contributed to the development through his experience in Quantum Optics. Anne L’Hullier worked with and discovered the different overtone of light when infrared laser light is shown through noble gases.
The winner of the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physiology was Emil Von Behring. His discovery and work on serum therapy against diphtheria. He primarily spent his career studying tuberculosis and diphtheria and worked very closely with chemistry institutions to further his work.
The most recent winner was 2023, Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman. Their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications enable the development of the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against Covid-19. Both Kariko and Weissman worked on the discovery or modifying the building blocks of mRNA as well as furthering the important work of making effective vaccines. Their work helped to further the work against Covid-19 and protect those who have been affected by the disease.
Continuing, the 1901 Nobel Prize category of Literature, the very first to receive the prize was Sully Prudhomme in recognition of his poetic compensation, which gave evidence of lofty idealism, and artistic perfection and gave a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect. Prudhomme was a prominent member of the poetry community and used his money from the Nobel Prize to establish a fund for young poets to publish. Prudhomme gave hope and opportunity for riding poets in the 20th century and made an impact on the current generation who reads the poetry of the past. Most recently, Jon Fosse won the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for his innovative play and prose which has a voice to the unsayable. His work as a major innovator in contemporary theater
In addition, the first winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Frederic Passy, was awarded the award for his lifelong work in international peace conferences as well as diplomacy and arbitration. Passy was known for being the founder of the first French Peace Society along with being one of the founders of the Inter-Parlemntry Union, which helped to organize peace and unity between different countries. The most recent winner, Narges Mohammadi, received the award for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and the fight for the promotion of rights for all men and women. Mohammadi has given her life for her cause, even going to one of the cruelest prisons in the world, Evin prison and even getting lashes for speaking out and protesting against sexual violence and human rights.
These many men and women have given their lives and all of their dedication to their respective fields. They braved the world and the limits that it appeared to hold. But as Alfred Nobel intended, they pushed those limits and made great contributions to the world.
