- On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace – the Nobel Prizes.
- In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
- Between 1901 and 2021, the Nobel Prizes and the prize in economic sciences were awarded 609 times.
- In the statutes of the Nobel Foundation it says: “A prize amount may be equally divided between two works, each of which is considered to merit a prize.
- If a work that is being rewarded has been produced by two or three persons, the prize shall be awarded to them jointly. In no case may a prize amount be divided between more than three persons.”
- 947 laureates* and 28 organizations have been awarded the Nobel Prizes between 1901 and 2021. Of them, 89 are economic sciences laureates.
- A small number of individuals and organizations have been honored more than once, which means that 943 unique individuals and 25 unique organizations have received the Nobel Prizes in total.
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- Since the start, in 1901, there are some years when the Nobel Prizes have not been awarded. The total number of times are 49.
- The youngest Nobel Prizes laureate – Malala Yousafzai, aged 17 – Nobel Peace Prize 2014
- The oldest Nobel Prizes laureate – John B. Goodenough, aged 97 – Chemistry, 2019
- Between 1901 and 2021 the Nobel Prizes and prize in economic sciences have been awarded 58 times to women.
- Jean-Paul Sartre, awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature and Le Duc Tho, awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US declined the prize.
- Three German Nobel Prize laureates, Richard Kuhn, Adolf Butenandt and Gerhard Domagk and Boris Pasternak, the 1958 Nobel Laureate in Literature were forced by authorities to decline the Nobel Prizes.
- On December 10, 1901, the Nobel Prizes were awarded for the first time in Stockholm and in Christiania (now Oslo) respectively.
- Each Nobel Prizes diploma is a unique work of art, created by foremost Swedish and Norwegian artists and calligraphers.
Why are the individuals and organizations awarded a Nobel Prize called Nobel Prize laureates?
The word “laureate” refers to being signified by the laurel wreath. In Greek mythology, the god Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head. A laurel wreath is a circular crown made of branches and leaves of the bay laurel (in Latin: Laurus nobilis). In Ancient Greece, laurel wreaths were awarded to victors as a sign of honor – both in athletic competitions and in poetic meets
