186 years ago today, the famous chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel was born in Sweden. Even if you don’t know all that much about chemistry and industry, you are sure to have come across this name: Alfred Nobel is the person who founded and gave his name to the Nobel Prize. This is a highly respected and lucrative award that is presented in the fields of peace, literature, chemistry, physics and medicine.

Even as a young man, Alfred Nobel saw a lot of the world. He spent his teenage years in Russia, then lived for several years in France. From 1963, he carried out experiments in his city of birth, Stockholm. Before this, he had trained as a mechanical engineer and chemist. As a chemist, Nobel mostly worked with explosives. In 1866, he invented an explosive that almost everyone knows: dynamite. He had his invention patented and established companies and laboratories in over 20 countries around the world. Nobel became very rich. Shortly before his death in Italy on 10.12.1896, he wrote in his will that his fortune was to go into a foundation. This Nobel Foundation has been awarding the famous Nobel Prizes since 1901.