Alfred Nobel may be most well-known for creating the Nobel prize, but what do you really know about his life? Most people are more familiar with the actual Nobel Prize than they are with Alfred Nobel himself. In light of this, here we bring you our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Alfred Noble. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He Created Dynamite. Yes, the man responsible for honoring scientists whose work is pushing our society forward is the same man who invented something so destructive as dynamite. He was not very proud of his accomplishment.
Number Fourteen: He Was One of Eight Kids. And he was also one of the four that survived. When he was growing up, it was very common for kids to die, so we are lucky that he lived to accomplish so many things!
Number Thirteen: Nobel Was Skilled in Languages and Chemistry. Nobel’s family moved from Sweden to St. Petersburg, and Nobel went to a very skilled private tutor. He soon developed a knack for learning languages, and he loved chemistry.
Number Twelve: He Started His Own Company. Taking after his father, Nobel started his own iron, steel and arms company.
Number Eleven: He Has an Element Named After Him. The element named after Alfred Nobel is Nobelium. Its symbol is No and is a radioactive metal. You won’t find Nobelium in nature, though – it can only be produced in a particle accelerator.
Number Ten: He Was a Poetry Fan. And he even wrote a play! Nobel authored Nemesis, which was a tragedy he penned while he was dying. The play is in four parts and was written in prose. Nobel died of a cerebral hemorrhage or bleeding in his brain. After Nobel died, every copy of his play was destroyed except for three remaining copies. It has since been translated in several languages.
Number Nine: He Was Fluent in Four Languages. Nobel could speak English, French, German, and Russian fluently. Even today, this is an extremely impressive skill for anyone to possess.