Alfred Nobel – inventor of dynamite

Alfred Nobel was a scientist and inventor. He created the Nobel Prize and wanted people to remember him as a man of peace. However, in his lifetime he was most famous for building weapons.
Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. His full name was Alfred Bernhard Nobel.
After Alfred was born, his father, an inventor went to Russia to work. He worked with the government and made machinery and explosives. Since his childhood Alfred was interested in science.
At the age of 17 Nobel traveled to the United States and several European countries to study. Then he returned to Russia to work with his father and his brothers. They worked on explosive weapons for the Russian military. Alfred and his father experimented with nitroglycerin.

In 1867, Nobel discovered a new material to mix with the nitroglycerin. This material made the nitroglycerin safer and more effective. He called his new invention ‘dynamite’.
Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896 in San Remo, the Kingdom of Italy.
For the work in science, medicine, literature, economics, or world peace people receive the Nobel Prize once a year. The winners receive award at ceremonies in Stockholm, Sweden, and Oslo, Norway, on December 10. A Nobel Prize is one of the highest honors that an individual can receive. The first Nobel prizes were handed out five years after Alfred Nobel’s death.
Nobel Institute of Physical Chemistry in Stockholm and the University in Dnepropetrovsk were named after Nobel.

Anna Dezri and Alfred Nobel
The prize fund was divided into five equal parts between physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peacemaking. It was not clear why mathematics, one of the most important sciences, was not included in the list. Today, however, it is generally accepted that the solution of the secret is in the fate of a woman, Nobel’s first and strongest love.
Nobel was a rather attractive man, brunette of medium height with beautiful blue eyes. But women didn’t like him and for all his life he was unable to start a family and be happy. But Alfred knew how to love and give love unselfishly.
A mysterious love story of Nobel began in St. Petersburg, when 17-year-old Alfred saw Anna Dezri from Denmark in the house of mutual friends. Beautiful woman so impressed the young man and he could not wait for a new meeting with her. They met each other in the house of a certain Countess on Thursdays. Alfred was in love. He told the girl about other countries, about the trip to America, read Shelley and Byron. Young Alfred dreamed of marriage and made plans for family life with his beloved.
His hopes and expectations collapsed unexpectedly. Once, Alfred saw his beloved talking with a handsome young man, Franz. Anna did not even pay attention to upset Nobel. The next time it happened again. One day Alfred and Anna were talking at the party. Suddenly, she saw Franz and without saying a word to her old friend went to meet the new gentleman. Franz saw embarrassed Nobel and decided to annoy the opponent. He came to Alfred and asked him if he had learned mathematics well. Embarrassed, shy Alfred said he had learned it from the best teachers in Europe. Then Franz wrote a problem on a snow-white napkin and gave it to the young man. Alfred didn’t expect such a turn of events and was so excited that all the figures swam before his eyes. He returned napkin with unsolved problem to arrogant Franz. Then he stood up, said goodbye, and ran out of the room.
A few months later, Anna Dezri married Franz, and Nobel locked himself in his room and wrote poems about lost love, death, wilted flowers. He was so depressed that fell ill. His father spent time beside his bed. Alfred saw sad Immanuel Nobel and whispered: “I’ll become the greatest inventor, father. I’ll be the world famous person. She will be sorry but too late.”
Alfred kept his word. He stopped attending secular parties and communicating with friends. He studied hard. A few years later he became very famous young chemist. But his nitroglycerin was unsafe. Alfred’s younger brother Emil Nobel was killed by the powerful explosion.
After this accident, Alfred moved to Paris, locked himself in his laboratory for a few months and later created the world-famous Nobel dynamite.
Already rich and renowned scientist, Nobel fell in love again. This time it was 20-year-old flower-girl Sophie Hess. His feeling to her lasted for nineteen years. Of course, this passion was more down to earth. He presented her with expensive dresses, jewelry and money. When the poor saleswoman turned into a lady she decided to marry the brave Hungarian captain. Nobel gave her a considerable sum as a wedding gift. However, he ordered her to disappear from his life.

Aged hermit didn’t believe in love any longer…
He died on December 10, 1896 from a brain haemorrhage. Nobel asked to cut his veins after the death. The King of Death was terribly afraid to be buried alive.
Mankind cruel laughed at Nobel. He invented dynamite to ease heavy physical labor, especially in construction. People are using his invention to kill their own kind. He created Nobel Prize to help the benefactors of mankind. The award has turned into an instrument of political blackmail and encouraging the confrontation of the individual with the state.

Alfred Nobel – inventor of dynamite