# Alfred Nobel

_Swedish chemist and inventor (1833–1896)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-nobel
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( noh-BEL; Swedish: [ˈǎlːfrɛd nʊˈbɛlː] ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. Nobel is known for inventing dynamite, as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. He worked on various important contributions and inventions to science, holding 355 patents during his life.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 21 October 1833 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Jakob and Johannes parish ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810#P19))
- **Died:** 10 December 1896 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810#P570))
- **Place of death:** Sanremo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Sweden ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810#P27))
- **Occupation:** chemist; industrialist; philanthropist; photographer; weapons manufacturer; scientist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810#P106))
- **Awards:** National Inventors Hall of Fame; Officer of the Legion of Honour; Knight of the Order of the Polar Star; Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy; Officer of the Imperial Order of the Rose; Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus; John Fritz Medal; Officer of the Order of the Southern Cross ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810#P166))

## About

Born into the prominent Nobel family in Stockholm, Nobel displayed an early aptitude for science and learning, particularly in chemistry and languages; he became fluent in six languages and filed his first patent at the age of 24. He embarked on many business ventures with his family, most notably owning the company Bofors—which was an iron and steel producer that he had developed into a major manufacturer of cannons and other armaments. Nobel's most famous invention, dynamite, was an explosive made using nitroglycerin, which was patented in 1867. He further invented gelignite in 1875 and ballistite in 1887.

Upon his death, Nobel donated his fortune to a foundation to fund the Nobel Prizes, which annually recognize those who have "conferred the greatest benefit to mankind". The synthetic element nobelium was named after him, and his name and legacy also survive in companies such as Dynamit Nobel and AkzoNobel, which descend from mergers with companies he founded. Nobel was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which, pursuant to his will, is responsible for choosing the Nobel laureates in Physics and in Chemistry.

## Questions

**When was Alfred Nobel born?**  
Alfred Nobel was born on 21 October 1833 in Jakob and Johannes parish.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Alfred Nobel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): अल्फ्रेड नोबेल](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AB%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A1_%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B2) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q23810](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23810) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Alfred Nobel3.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Nobel3.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Alfred Nobel, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Alfred Nobel3.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Alfred Nobel". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-nobel. Retrieved 5 November 2026.