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Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, inventor, businessman, engineer and philanthropist. He was born on October 21, 1833, in Stockholm, UK. His father was Immanuel Nobel, an inventor and engineer, and his mother was Karolina Andriette Nobel. They got married in 1827 and had eight children, including Alfred Nobel.
His family was very poor, so only Alfred and his three brothers could outlive past childhood. But, with his hard work and achievements, Alfred changed the lives of their family members. His most famous invention was dynamite; it was patented in 1867 and used globally for infrastructure and mining development.
Early Life And Education
Alfred Nobel had a very tough childhood because his family was not well-off, and in fact, his four brothers died because of this reason. Since childhood, Alfred displayed a lively intellectual curiosity. He comprehended the basics of engineering from his father and used to like talking about explosives.
Alfred was also prone to illness as a child, but he had a good connection with his mother, who used to keep him happy and motivated in life. His father did not get much success in Stockholm, so he shifted to St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1837, where he became successful as a producer of explosive mines and machine tools.
Alfred's family shifted to St. Petersburg in 1842, this was the changing point of their lives as now they could afford to send him to private tuition, and he became a curious child. He was just 16 when he became a chemist and had a good command of various languages such as English, Swedish, French, German and Russian.
He spent one year in Russia; after that went to Paris to further study Chemistry, and then he moved to the US and worked under the builder of the ironclad warship Monitor, John Ericsson.
Alfred Nobel Career
He returned to St. Petersburg in 1852 and started working with his father to manufacture military equipment. Their company was not doing well, so they shut it down in 1859, and his parents went back to Sweden. But Alfred and his brother stayed in Russia, trying to manage the leftover business.
This was the turning point for Alfred as he started experimenting and trying his skills on explosives in his father's factory. Within a couple of months, he started manufacturing nitroglycerin and continued his research. Nitroglycerine is made by combining glycerine with sulfuric and nitric acid. It is a pretty dangerous substance, so it could not be put to any practical use.
He developed a detonator that was much more powerful than the contemporary explosives. In 1865, he invented an improved detonator called the blasting cap.
He still continued inventing nitroglycerin for a couple of years, and then came his second substantial invention of dynamite in 1867. He was given a patent for its creation in 1867 in Great Britain and the US in 1868. This made him popular worldwide as the government started using dynamites to build railways, cut canals, and blast tunnels.
In 1875, he created even more powerful dynamite called blasting gelatin and got it patented in the same year. In 1887, he launched the first nitroglycerin smokeless powders called ballistite.
He became interested in Sweden’s arms industry in 1893, and the same year, near Varmland, he purchased an ironworks at Bofors. It became the nucleus of the renowned Bofors arms factory. Not just explosives, Nobel made many other inventions, like artificial silk and leather, all in all, he registered over 350 patents in many countries.
FAQs
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How did Alfred Nobel die?
He moved to Italy in 1891 because of some charges of high betrayal against France for trading Ballistite to Italy. He died of a heart stroke at his house in San Remo in Italy in 1896.
His will was deposited in a bank in Stockholm, comprised of a lot for his family, friends and the general public. He gave most of his money to the trust to fund the Nobel Prize awards.
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How did his brother Emil die?
In 1864, their nitroglycerin factory blew, which killed his brother and various other workers.
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Is there any monument to Alfred Nobel?
Yes, the monument of Alfred Nobel was made in St. Petersburg. It was constructed in 1991 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the first Nobel Prize exhibition.
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How was his health and relationship status?
He travelled a lot for work, yet he was depressed. He remained unmarried, but as per his biography, he had three lovers.
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How did Alfred live his life?
He led a remarkably austere life and was very spiritual. He was a good dinner host, a patient listener and a man of incisive wit.
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