Nobel Born: Dynamite Inventor Who Founded World's Top Prize
Alfred Nobel patented 355 inventions over his lifetime. Dynamite was just the most famous. He held factories in 90 locations across 20 countries. When a French newspaper mistakenly ran his obituary — confusing him with his dead brother — the headline read 'The Merchant of Death Is Dead.' He read it. He was still alive, but the words stuck. Three years later he wrote a will leaving his entire fortune to fund prizes for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The Nobel Prize was guilt turned into gold.
October 21, 1833
193 years ago
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