List of Nobel laureates
Encyclopedia
The Nobel Prize
s are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
, the Swedish Academy
, the Karolinska Institute, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee
to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in the fields of chemistry
, physics
, literature
, peace
, and physiology or medicine
. They were established by the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel
, which dictates that the awards should be administered by the Nobel Foundation
. Another prize, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
, was established in 1968 by the Sveriges Riksbank
, the central bank
of Sweden
, for contributors to the field of economics.
Each prize is awarded by a separate committee; the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Economics, the Karolinska Institute awards the Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Prize in Peace. Each recipient receives a medal, a diploma and a monetary award that has varied throughout the years. In 1901, the recipients of the first Nobel Prizes were given 150,782 SEK
, which is equal to 7,731,004 SEK in December 2007. In 2008, the winners were awarded a prize amount of 10,000,000 SEK. The awards are presented in Stockholm
in an annual ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
As of 2011, 826 individuals and 20 organizations have been awarded a Nobel Prize, including 69 winners of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
. Four Nobel laureates were not permitted by their governments to accept the Nobel Prize. Adolf Hitler
forbade three Germans, Richard Kuhn
(Chemistry, 1938), Adolf Butenandt
(Chemistry, 1939), and Gerhard Domagk
(Physiology or Medicine, 1939), from accepting their Nobel Prizes, and the government of the Soviet Union
pressured Boris Pasternak
(Literature, 1958) to decline his award. Two Nobel laureates, Jean-Paul Sartre
(Literature, 1964) and Lê Ðức Thọ
(Peace, 1973), declined the award; Sartre declined the award as he declined all official honors, and Lê declined the award due to the situation Vietnam was in at the time.
Six laureates have received more than one prize; of the six, the International Committee of the Red Cross
has received the Nobel Peace Prize
three times, more than any other. Among the 826 Nobel laureates, 43 have been women; the first woman to win a Nobel Prize was Marie Curie
, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903. She was also the first person (male or female) to win two Nobel Prizes, the second being the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded in 1911.
In years in which the Nobel Prize is not awarded due to external events or a lack of nominations, the prize money is returned to the funds delegated to the relevant prize. The Nobel Prize was not awarded between 1940 and 1942 due to the outbreak of World War II
.
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
s are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
, the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
, the Karolinska Institute, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee
Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Nobel Peace Prize each year.Its five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and roughly represent the political makeup of that body.-History:...
to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in the fields of chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
, physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
, literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
, peace
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
, and physiology or medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
. They were established by the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He is the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments...
, which dictates that the awards should be administered by the Nobel Foundation
Nobel Foundation
The Nobel Foundation is a private institution founded on 29 June 1900 to manage the finances and administration of the Nobel Prizes. The Foundation is based on the last will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite....
. Another prize, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics, but officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel , is an award for outstanding contributions to the field of economics, generally regarded as one of the...
, was established in 1968 by the Sveriges Riksbank
Sveriges Riksbank
Sveriges Riksbank, or simply Riksbanken, is the central bank of Sweden and the world's oldest central bank. It is sometimes called the Swedish National Bank or the Bank of Sweden .-History:...
, the central bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, for contributors to the field of economics.
Each prize is awarded by a separate committee; the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Economics, the Karolinska Institute awards the Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Prize in Peace. Each recipient receives a medal, a diploma and a monetary award that has varied throughout the years. In 1901, the recipients of the first Nobel Prizes were given 150,782 SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
, which is equal to 7,731,004 SEK in December 2007. In 2008, the winners were awarded a prize amount of 10,000,000 SEK. The awards are presented in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in an annual ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
As of 2011, 826 individuals and 20 organizations have been awarded a Nobel Prize, including 69 winners of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics, but officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel , is an award for outstanding contributions to the field of economics, generally regarded as one of the...
. Four Nobel laureates were not permitted by their governments to accept the Nobel Prize. Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
forbade three Germans, Richard Kuhn
Richard Kuhn
Richard Kuhn was an Austrian-German biochemist, Nobel laureate, and Nazi collaborator.-Early life:Kuhn was born in Vienna, Austria where he attended grammar school and high school. His interest in chemistry surfaced early; however he had many interests and decided late to study chemistry...
(Chemistry, 1938), Adolf Butenandt
Adolf Butenandt
Adolf Friedrich Johann Butenandt was a German biochemist and member of the Nazi party. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939 for his "work on sex hormones." He initially rejected the award in accordance with government policy, but accepted it in 1949 after World War...
(Chemistry, 1939), and Gerhard Domagk
Gerhard Domagk
Gerhard Johannes Paul Domagk was a German pathologist and bacteriologist credited with the discovery of Sulfonamidochrysoidine – the first commercially available antibiotic – for which he received the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.Domagk was born in Lagow, Brandenburg, the...
(Physiology or Medicine, 1939), from accepting their Nobel Prizes, and the government of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
pressured Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language...
(Literature, 1958) to decline his award. Two Nobel laureates, Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
(Literature, 1964) and Lê Ðức Thọ
Le Duc Tho
Lê Đức Thọ , born Phan Đình Khải in Ha Nam province, was a Vietnamese revolutionary, general, diplomat, and politician, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1973, although he declined it....
(Peace, 1973), declined the award; Sartre declined the award as he declined all official honors, and Lê declined the award due to the situation Vietnam was in at the time.
Six laureates have received more than one prize; of the six, the International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
has received the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
three times, more than any other. Among the 826 Nobel laureates, 43 have been women; the first woman to win a Nobel Prize was Marie Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903. She was also the first person (male or female) to win two Nobel Prizes, the second being the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded in 1911.
In years in which the Nobel Prize is not awarded due to external events or a lack of nominations, the prize money is returned to the funds delegated to the relevant prize. The Nobel Prize was not awarded between 1940 and 1942 due to the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Laureates
| Year | Physics | Chemistry | Physiology or Medicine |
Literature | Peace | Economics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1902 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1903 | ; ; |
— | ||||
| 1904 | ; |
Institut de Droit International Institut de droit international The Institut de droit international is an organization devoted to the study and development of international law, whose membership comprises the world's leading public international lawyers... |
— | |||
| 1905 | — | |||||
| 1906 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1907 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1908 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1909 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1910 | International Peace Bureau International Peace Bureau International Peace Bureau is the world's oldest international peace federation. It was founded in 1891, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910.... |
— | ||||
| 1911 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1912 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1913 | — | |||||
| 1914 | None | None | — | |||
| 1915 | ; |
None | None | — | ||
| 1916 | None | None | None | None | — | |
| 1917 | None | None | ; |
International Committee of the Red Cross International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and... |
— | |
| 1918 | None | None | None | — | ||
| 1919 | None | — | ||||
| 1920 | — | |||||
| 1921 | None | ; |
— | |||
| 1922 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1923 | ; |
None | — | |||
| 1924 | None | None | — | |||
| 1925 | ; |
None | ; |
— | ||
| 1926 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1927 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1928 | None | — | ||||
| 1929 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1930 | — | |||||
| 1931 | None | ; |
; |
— | ||
| 1932 | ; |
None | — | |||
| 1933 | ; |
None | — | |||
| 1934 | None | ; ; |
— | |||
| 1935 | ; |
None | — | |||
| 1936 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1937 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1938 | Nansen International Office For Refugees Office international Nansen pour les réfugiés The Office International Nansen pour les Réfugiés , was an organization of the League of Nations, which was internationally in charge of refugees from war areas from 1930 to 1939. It is noted for developing the Nansen passport which allowed stateless people to travel between countries... |
— | ||||
| 1939 | ; |
None | — | |||
| 1940 | None | None | None | None | None | — |
| 1941 | None | None | None | None | None | — |
| 1942 | None | None | None | None | None | — |
| 1943 | ; |
None | None | — | ||
| 1944 | ; |
International Committee of the Red Cross International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and... |
— | |||
| 1945 | ; ; |
— | ||||
| 1946 | ; ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1947 | ; ; |
Friends Service Council Quaker Peace and Social Witness Quaker Peace & Social Witness , previously known as the Friends Service Council, and then as Quaker Peace and Service, is one of the central committees of Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends - the national organisation of Quakers in Britain. It works to promote British... ; American Friends Service Committee American Friends Service Committee The American Friends Service Committee is a Religious Society of Friends affiliated organization which works for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world... |
— | |||
| 1948 | None | — | ||||
| 1949 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1950 | ; |
; ; |
— | |||
| 1951 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1952 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1953 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1954 | ; |
; ; |
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to... |
— | ||
| 1955 | ; |
None | — | |||
| 1956 | ; ; |
; |
; ; |
None | — | |
| 1957 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1958 | ; ; |
; ; |
— | |||
| 1959 | ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1960 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1961 | ; |
— | ||||
| 1962 | ; |
; ; |
— | |||
| 1963 | ; ; |
; |
; ; |
International Committee of the Red Cross International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and... ; League of Red Cross societies International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies... |
— | |
| 1964 | ; ; |
; |
— | |||
| 1965 | ; ; |
; ; |
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Children's Fund United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II... |
— | ||
| 1966 | ; |
; |
None | — | ||
| 1967 | ; ; |
; ; |
None | — | ||
| 1968 | ; ; |
— | ||||
| 1969 | ; |
; ; |
International Labour Organization International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the... |
; |
||
| 1970 | ; |
; ; |
||||
| 1971 | ||||||
| 1972 | ; ; |
; ; |
; |
None | ; |
|
| 1973 | ; ; |
; |
; ; |
; |
||
| 1974 | ; |
; ; |
; |
; |
; |
|
| 1975 | ; ; |
; |
; ; |
; |
||
| 1976 | ; |
; |
; |
|||
| 1977 | ; ; |
; ; |
Amnesty International Amnesty International Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's... |
; |
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| 1978 | ; ; |
; ; |
; |
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| 1979 | ; ; |
; |
; |
; |
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| 1980 | ; |
; ; |
; ; |
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| 1981 | ; ; |
; |
; ; |
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to... |
||
| 1982 | ; ; |
; |
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| 1983 | ; |
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| 1984 | ; |
; ; |
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| 1985 | ; |
; |
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War is a non-partisan federation of national medical groups in 63 countries, representing tens of thousands of doctors, medical students, other health workers, and concerned citizens who share the common goal of creating a more peaceful and secure world freed from the threat of nuclear annihilation... |
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| 1986 | ; ; |
; ; |
; |
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| 1987 | ; |
; ; |
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| 1988 | ; ; |
; ; |
; ; |
United Nations Peace-Keeping Forces Peacekeeping Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking.... |
||
| 1989 | ; ; |
; |
; |
, the 14th Dalai Lama Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"... |
||
| 1990 | ; ; |
; |
; ; |
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| 1991 | ; |
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| 1992 | ; |
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| 1993 | ; |
; |
; |
; |
; |
|
| 1994 | ; |
; |
; ; |
; ; |
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| 1995 | ; |
; ; |
; ; |
; Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs is an international organization that brings together scholars and public figures to work toward reducing the danger of armed conflict and to seek solutions to global security threats... |
||
| 1996 | ; ; |
; ; |
; |
; |
; |
|
| 1997 | ; ; |
; ; |
International Campaign to Ban Landmines International Campaign to Ban Landmines The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.The coalition was formed in... ; |
; |
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| 1998 | ; ; |
; |
; ; |
; |
||
| 1999 | ; |
Médecins Sans Frontières Médecins Sans Frontières ' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland... |
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| 2000 | ; ; |
; ; |
; ; |
; |
||
| 2001 | ; ; |
; ; |
; ; |
United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... ; |
; ; |
|
| 2002 | ; ; |
; ; |
; ; |
; |
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| 2003 | ; ; |
; |
; |
; |
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| 2004 | ; ; |
; ; |
; |
; |
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| 2005 | ; ; |
; ; |
; |
International Atomic Energy Agency International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957... ; |
; |
|
| 2006 | ; |
; |
; Grameen Bank Grameen Bank The Grameen Bank is a microfinance organization and community development bank started in Bangladesh that makes small loans to the impoverished without requiring collateral... |
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| 2007 | ; |
; ; |
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body which provides comprehensive assessments of current scientific, technical and socio-economic information worldwide about the risk of climate change caused by human activity, its potential environmental and... ; |
; ; |
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| 2008 | ; ; |
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| 2009 | ; ; |
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| 2010 | ; |
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| 2011 | ; ; |
; ; |
; ; |
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| Year | Physics | Chemistry | Physiology or Medicine |
Literature | Peace | Economics |