Saturday, December 25, 2010

                                 I've been dreaming to start my own blog for months after one of our lecturers in University ,encouraged us to do so.Even though I prefer writing ,It was difficult to find topic to put my first step.Some of my friends  have already started blogging on topics related to "Computer Science" in a very successful manner.Nevertheless I decided to take a different path which is a hobby in my life.That is non other than "quizzing ",a catalyst which keeps my life in motion.
                                 You can expect some interesting facts on "General Knowledge" from my blog.Here as my first effort I'd like to give you some important facts about "Nobel Prizes".

Nobel History

  • Started in 1901and awarded to five different fields.(physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine,  literature and for peace)
  • The foundations for the prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will.


  • From 1968 Nobel prize for Economics was initiated by Sveriges Riksbank.
  • Each 2010 Nobel Prize will amount to 10 million Swedish kronor(more than Rs.160 million ).It depends on the Nobel Foundation's income that year
  • Each prize can be shared between  not more than 3 people. From 1974 not awarded posthumously.

     

    The first Nobel Prize winners(in 1901):


  • Physics-Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen (German physicist who invented X-Ray).
  • Chemistry-Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff(for discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and     osmotic pressure  in solutions, Dutch scientist).
  • Medicine-Emil Adolf von Behring( German physiologist,work on his serum therapy, against diphtheria ).
  • Literature- Sully Prudhomme(French poet and essayist).
  • Peace-Jean Henry Dunant(Swiss-founder od Red Cross) and Frédéric Passy(French Economist).


Some interesting stuff.....

  • First women to win a Nobel prize-    Marie Skłodowska Curie( Polish-born French physicist and chemist in 1903 for Physics.Curie is the only woman to win the award in two different fields.1911 for Chemistry) 
     
  • Most number of Nobel Prizes-International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)(1917,1944,1962)
  • First Posthumous Nobel Peace Prize- Dag Hammarskjold in 1961.(Swedish ,UN secretary general killed by a plane clash).

  • Winston Churchill won Nobel in 1953 for-Literature(for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values)

  • First to win a Nobel
                Asian Laureate-Rabindranath Tagore in 1913
                African  Laureate-Albert John Luthuli in 1960 for Peace(South African)
                American Laureate-Theodore Roosevelt -1906-Peace
                English Laureate-Sir Ronald Ross in 1902 -medicine ( discovery
                                                                               of the malarial parasite)
                Russian Laureate-Ivan Pavlov in 1904 for Medicine


    • The youngest Nobel Laureate-Lawrence Bragg, who was just 25 years old when he received the Nobel Prize in Physics with his father in 1915. 

      The oldest Nobel Laureate-Leonid Hurwicz, who was 90 years old when he was awarded the 2007 Prize in Economic Sciences.

       

      • Nobel Laureates who have declined the  Prize

      1. Jean-Paul Sartre(French), The Nobel Prize in Literature 1964 was awarded to him"for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age".

      2. Le Duc Tho( Vietnam)-Peace Prize in 1973 However, Lê declined to accept the award, stating that there was still no peace in his country

       

      Nobel winning Family

      • Father: Pierre Curie (1903- Physics)
      • Mother: Marie Curie (1903- Physics,1911-Chemistry)
      • Son in Law Frédéric Joliot (1935-Chemistry)
      • Daughter:Irène Joliot-Curie(1935-Chemistry)


     As "Nobel Prize Winners" is a huge area we can't cover easily.But there are many interesting hidden facts among those great personalities.I hope you'll read more about this area if you are interested in my article.