Alfred Nobel: Life of Paradox

Alfred B. Nobel was an innovative chemist and engineer. One of his most lasting inventions was the dynamite. Bofors, which Nobel also owned, has evolved from being a producer of iron and steel to a cannon and armaments manufacturer. His patent for the dynamite was only one of 350 patents credited to him. Nobelium, a synthetic element, was named in honor of him. Two the companies that Nobel himself established are stili existing today: the AkzoNobel and Dynamit Nobel. The fortunes of Nobel were posthumously used to create the Nobel Prizes.

Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was born to poor family of eight children. Only Nobel and three of his brothers survived through adulthood. As boy, Nobel showed interest in engineering. He particularly liked explosives and his father, Immanuel, who was himself an engineer and inventor, taught him the basic principles of explosives.

A number of business failures have forced the Nobel family to Saint Petersburg in 1837. In Saint Petersburg, the Nobels established a store that manufactured and sold machine tools and explosives. Nobel started his work on the torpedo, a naval mine used by modern navies. By 1842, the Nobels have become prosperous. Nobel was attended by private tutors and became excellent in languages and chemistry. He became fluent in English, German, French and Russian.

The young Nobel became the student of chemist Nikolai Zenin. Nobel moved to Paris in 1850 for further studies. At 18, he moved to the US and studied chemistry for four years. He had a short collaboration with John Ericsson, the designer of USS Monitor which was used in the American Civil War. In 1857, Nobel got his first patent for a gas meter.

Nobel and his family moved back to Sweden where he invented the detonator. His studied the safe use of nitroglycerine after an explosion in a factory in Stockholm killed five people, including his brother Emil. In 1867, Nobel invented the dynamite, which was easier and safer to use than the nitroglycerine. In 1875, Nobel invented the gelignite, which was more stable than the dynamite.

Following the deaths of his mother and brother, Ludvig, Nobel moved to San Remo, Italy. He died of cerebral hemorrhage in 1896 at home. At the time his death, Nobel was awarded 350 patents and has established 90 armaments factories. His wealth, which were placed in trust, were used by his colleagues to fund the Nobel Prizes.