The Story of Alfred Nobel
Does the name sound familiar to you? Of course you know him- he is the person who used his vast fortune to establish the Nobel prizes which have been given to many people up till today, ranging from scientists to freedom fighters all over the world! He is one of the most famous figures in the world of chemistry, due to his astounding contributions which are still in use in modern day technology.
On October 21, 1833, Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the to-be Swedish chemist, inventor and engineer was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, Immanuel Nobel, a skilled engineer and inventor, was unfortunately forced into bankruptcy the same year he was born; thus 1842, his family moved to Russia where his father had already started a mechanical workshop which provided equipment for the Russian Army. In my perspective, clever minds probably ran in the family, because Immanuel Nobel designed naval mines for the Russian Army and was a pioneer in designing steam engines, which shows how successful he was.
On October 21, 1833, Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the to-be Swedish chemist, inventor and engineer was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, Immanuel Nobel, a skilled engineer and inventor, was unfortunately forced into bankruptcy the same year he was born; thus 1842, his family moved to Russia where his father had already started a mechanical workshop which provided equipment for the Russian Army. In my perspective, clever minds probably ran in the family, because Immanuel Nobel designed naval mines for the Russian Army and was a pioneer in designing steam engines, which shows how successful he was.
The fact that Alfred Nobel quickly mastered chemistry and became fluent in 5 languages lends credence to his brilliance that was already apparent during his early life. In 1852, after gathering knowledge and experience in Germany, Italy and the United States, Alfred Nobel returned to work alongside his father to develop nitroglycerin.
Talking about nitroglycerin, well, it is a very volatile explosive in its liquid state, and was synthesised by the Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1846. It can be obtained in a heavy, oily, colourless and explosive liquid state by nitrating glycerol. Although it is dangerous, it is also used in drugs (often in emergencies) for various conditions need nitroglycerin for a widening of blood vessels.
Talking about nitroglycerin, well, it is a very volatile explosive in its liquid state, and was synthesised by the Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1846. It can be obtained in a heavy, oily, colourless and explosive liquid state by nitrating glycerol. Although it is dangerous, it is also used in drugs (often in emergencies) for various conditions need nitroglycerin for a widening of blood vessels.
It was in 1863 that Alfred Nobel personally started focusing research and experiments on nitroglycerin, after his return to Sweden. However, he faced many setbacks while trying to convince the authorities that nitroglycerin was safe for commercial and industrial use, as there were many accidents and explosions during his experiments. Once, a huge explosion in the factory killed 5 people, including his brother, Emil. This dramatically affected him, and spurred him on to discover safer ways of harnessing nitroglycerin.
Finally, Alfred Nobel tasted success. In 1867, he received a patent for dynamite, a material which was much safer than nitroglycerin for handling and could be used to blast rocks. Dynamite is a very famous explosive used even today chiefly in the fields of construction, mining and demolition. Many rock quarries use dynamite to harvest rock. Dynamite is formed by mixing nitroglycerin with silica to turn the liquid into a malleable paste; and Alfred Nobel made it into a cylinder shape. This allows dynamite to fit into the drilling holes used for mining.
To be able to detonate the dynamite, Alfred Nobel also invented blasting cap, which could be ignited by lighting a fuse. His two great inventions (i.e. blasting cap and dynamite) contributed to the reduction in the cost of blasting rocks, drilling tunnels, and many other forms of construction work at that time.
Alfred Nobel reaped the hard work he sowed, when he became a successful entrepreneur and businessman when the market for dynamite grew very rapidly. During his life, he founded factories and laboratories in 20 countries around the world, as he was constantly traveling. He not only did significant work on explosives, but also other chemical inventions which include synthetic rubber, artificial silk etc. He amassed a huge fortune and 355 patents in total.
To be able to detonate the dynamite, Alfred Nobel also invented blasting cap, which could be ignited by lighting a fuse. His two great inventions (i.e. blasting cap and dynamite) contributed to the reduction in the cost of blasting rocks, drilling tunnels, and many other forms of construction work at that time.
Alfred Nobel reaped the hard work he sowed, when he became a successful entrepreneur and businessman when the market for dynamite grew very rapidly. During his life, he founded factories and laboratories in 20 countries around the world, as he was constantly traveling. He not only did significant work on explosives, but also other chemical inventions which include synthetic rubber, artificial silk etc. He amassed a huge fortune and 355 patents in total.
On December 10, 1896, in San Remo, Italy, Alfred Nobel passed away because of a stroke. He had already set aside the bulk of his estate to establish and fund the Nobel prizes to honor men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine and literature, and for working towards peace.
To me, Mr. Alfred Nobel indubitably deserves to be the role model of all of us in the 21st century. One reason is because of the way he relentlessly pursued excellence in everything he did, from learning multiple languages to inventing objects which play a pivotal role even in the modern world. He has made me realise that everyone can succeed, regardless of their backgrounds or difficulties in the way. Although his family had experienced bankruptcy, Mr. Nobel worked hard and fought for success. Another reason is the foresight of Mr. Nobel. The fantastic invention aside, he actually left behind a Nobel Prize! This has rewarded so many individuals who have aspired to do their best to contribute to the betterment of the world. People like Barack Obama and Hans Fischer have gained recognition for their contributions. I hope that his legacy can inspire many more to follow in his path and do their part for the world!