Frequently Asked Questions

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Alfred Nobel »
Nominations »
Nobel Laureates »
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Most Frequently Asked Questions

How can I nominate someone for a Nobel Prize? »

Where can I find information on the nomination procedures? »

Where can I find a list of all Nobel Laureates? »

Could you give me the mailing address, e-mail address or fax number of a Nobel Laureate? »

Are there any copyright restrictions to the use of texts, photos and graphics from Nobelprize.org? »

Are there any plans to present Nobelprize.org in other languages? »

I would like permission to make a link to Nobelprize.org. »

Would it be possible for you to place a link to our server? »

 

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The Nobel Prize

I would like to propose a new Nobel Prize.

The Nobel Prizes, as designated in the Will of Alfred Nobel, are in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. Only once during these years has a prize been added – a Memorial Prize – The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, donated by Sweden's central bank to celebrate its tercentenary in 1968. The Board of Directors later decided to keep the original five prizes intact and not to permit new additions.


Is there any information on the Nobel Prize amount?

There is a table of the Nobel Prize amount in Swedish kronor (SEK).


Why is the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in Oslo and all the other Nobel Prizes in Stockholm?

Alfred Nobel left no explanation as to why the prize for peace was to be awarded by a Norwegian committee while the other four prizes were to be handled by Swedish committees. In the will he wrote:

"The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiology or medical works by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm, and that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting."

Read more: The Nobel Peace Prize 1901-2000 »


Is it possible to revoke a Nobel Prize?

No, it is not possible according to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, § 10.

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Alfred Nobel

I'm doing a project on Alfred Nobel and need some information on his life and work.

The section on Alfred Nobel features several articles providing biographical accounts about his life and the companies he built up. See, for example, "Alfred Nobel's Life and Work - for Gradeschoolers."


Where can I find the last will of Alfred Nobel?

Alfred Nobel's Will – Full Text »
Alfred Nobel's Will – Excerpt »
Alfred Nobel's Will – Slide Show » (This 17-minute slide show marks the major events leading to the awarding of the first Nobel Prizes.)

How do you pronounce 'Nobel'?

'Nobel' is the surname of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize. It is pronounced 'noh-bel'.

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Nominations

How can I nominate myself or someone for a Nobel Prize?

No person can nominate herself/himself.

Qualifications to nominate candidates vary somewhat among the Nobel Prize-Awarding Institutions. To find out who has the right to submit proposals for an award see:
Physics – The Nominators »
Chemistry – The Nominators »
Physiology or Medicine – The Nominators »
Literature – The Nominators »
Peace – The Nominators »
Economic Sciences – The Nominators »


Where can I find information on the nomination procedures?

Nomination and Selection of Physics Laureates »
Nomination and Selection of Chemistry Laureates »
Nomination and Selection of Medicine Laureates »
Nomination and Selection of Literature Laureates »
Nomination and Selection of Peace Prize Laureates »
Nomination and Selection of Laureates in Economic Sciences »


Has X been nominated as a candidate for the Nobel Prize, or where do I find a list of Nobel Prize nominees?

According to the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation, information about the nominations is not to be disclosed, publicly or privately, for a period of fifty years. The restriction not only concerns the nominees and nominators, but also investigations and opinions in the awarding of a prize. Nomination information older than fifty years is public. At this web site the Nomination Databases for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1901-1951 and for the Nobel Peace Prize, 1901-1955 are now available. Nomination Databases for the other prize categories will follow.


Is it possible to nominate someone for a posthumous Nobel Prize?

No, it is not. Previously, a person could be awarded a prize posthumously if he/she had already been nominated (before February 1 of the same year), which was true of Erik Axel Karlfeldt (Nobel Prize in Literature 1931) and Dag Hammarskjöld (Nobel Peace Prize, 1961). Effective from 1974, the prize may only go to a deceased person to whom it was already awarded (usually in October) but who had died before he/she could receive the Prize on December 10 (William Vickrey, 1996 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel). See also par. 4 of the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation.

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Nobel Laureates

What is a Nobel Laureate?

A Laureate is a person honored for high achievement in a particular field. A Nobel Laureate is someone who is awarded the Nobel Prize.


Why do you use the word Nobel Laureate and not Nobel Prize Winner?
The awarding of the Nobel Prizes is not a competition or lottery, and therefore there are no winners or losers. Nobel Laureates receive the Nobel Prize in recognition of their achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, or peace.

Where can I find a list of all Nobel Laureates?

List of All Nobel Laureates »
List of Women Nobel Laureates »
List of Nobel Prize awarded organizations »
Nobel Laureates in Physics »
Nobel Laureates in Chemistry »
Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine »
Nobel Laureates in Literature »
Nobel Peace Prize Laureates »
Laureates in Economic Sciences »
List of Nobel Laureates and Universities »


Where can I find information on a certain Nobel Laureate?

If you know the name of the Nobel Laureate, type the last name of the Nobel Laureate in the SEARCH field at the top and click on the arrow.

Then, you will find a web page with links to information about the Nobel Laureate.


Do you have a list of women Nobel Laureates?

Yes, see the list of Women Nobel Laureates »


Who is the youngest ever to receive a Nobel Prize, and who is the oldest?

The youngest Nobel Laureates at the time of the award, 10 December each year.

Age Name Category/Year Date of birth
25 Lawrence Bragg Physics 1915 31 March 1890
31 Werner Heisenberg Physics 1932 5 December 1901
31 Tsung-Dao Lee Physics 1957 24 November 1926
31 Carl D. Anderson Physics 1936 3 September 1905
31 Paul A. M. Dirac Physics 1933 8 August 1902
32 Frederick G. Banting Medicine 1923 14 November 1891
32 Rudolf Mössbauer Physics 1961 31 January 1929
32 Mairead Corrigan Peace 1976 27 January 1944
33 Joshua Lederberg Medicine 1958 23 May 1925
33 Betty Williams Peace 1976 22 May 1943
33 Rigoberta Menchú Tum Peace 1992 9 January 1959
33 Brian D. Josephson Physics 1973 4 January 1940

 

The oldest Nobel Laureates at the time of the award, 10 December each year.

Age Name Category/Year Date of birth
90 Leonid Hurwicz Economic Sciences 2007 21 August 1917
88 Raymond Davis Jr. Physics 2002 14 October 1914
88 Doris Lessing Literature 2007 22 October 1919
87 Yoichiro Nambu Physics 2008 18 January 1921
87 Vitaly L. Ginzburg Physics 2003 4 October 1916
87 Peyton Rous Medicine 1966 5 October 1879
87 Joseph Rotblat Peace 1995 4 November 1908
87 Karl von Frisch Medicine 1973 20 November 1886
85 Ferdinand Buisson Peace 1927 20 December 1841
85 John B. Fenn Chemistry 2002 15 June 1917
85 Theodor Mommsen Literature 1902 30 November 1817
85 Willard S. Boyle Physics 2009 19 August 1929

 

Youngest Nobel Laureates in their respective Nobel Prize areas

Category Name
Year of Award
Age of
Nobel Laureate
Physics William Lawrence Bragg
1915
25
Chemistry Frédéric Joliot
1935
35
Physiology or Medicine Frederick Banting
1923
32
Literature Rudyard Kipling
1907
42
Peace Mairead Corrigan
1976
32
Economic Sciences Kenneth J. Arrow
1972
51

Oldest Nobel Laureates in their respective Nobel Prize areas

Category Name
Year of Award
Age of
Nobel Laureate
Physics Raymond Davis Jr.
2002
88
Chemistry John B. Fenn
2002
85
Physiology or Medicine Peyton Rous
1966
87
Literature Doris Lessing
2007
88
Peace Joseph Rotblat
1995
87
Economic Sciences Leonid Hurwicz
2007
90

How many Laureates have been awarded the Nobel Prize?

From 1901 to 2009, a total of 829 Nobel Laureates have been awarded the Nobel Prize, comprising 806 Nobel Laureates and 23 organizations. Below is a breakdown of Nobel Laureates in each Prize category:

Category Number of Nobel Laureates
Physics 187
Chemistry 157
Physiology or Medicine 195
Literature 106
Peace 97
  23 organizations
Economic Sciences 64
   
Total 829

Two Nobel Laureates were honoured in different Prize categories — Marie Curie was awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Linus Pauling was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize. Four other Nobel Laureates, two individuals and two organizations, received the Nobel Prize more than once in the same category. This makes a total of 802 individuals and 20 unique organizations who have received the Nobel Prize. See the following question for more details.


Which person or organization has received the Nobel Prize more than once?

Marie Curie received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics, and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry;
John Bardeen received the 1956 and the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics;
Frederick Sanger received the 1958 and the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry;
Comité International de la Croix Rouge received the 1917, 1944 and 1963 Nobel Peace Prize;
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees received the 1954 and the 1981 Nobel Peace Prize;
Linus Pauling received the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize.


Who is the only person to have been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes?

Linus Pauling was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize.


Has the Nobel Prize been given to more than one member of the same family?

Father and Son:
William BraggLawrence Bragg
Niels BohrAage N. Bohr
Hans von Euler-ChelpinUlf von Euler
Arthur KornbergRoger D. Kornberg
Manne SiegbahnKai M. Siegbahn
J. J. ThomsonGeorge Paget Thomson

Father and Daughter:
Pierre CurieIrène Joliot-Curie

Mother and Daughter:
Marie CurieIrène Joliot-Curie

Married Couples:
Marie CuriePierre Curie
Irène Joliot-CurieFrédéric Joliot
Gerty CoriCarl Cori

Two Laureates of The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel have family members who have been awarded a Nobel Prize; Gunnar Myrdal, the husband of Alva Myrdal, and Jan Tinbergen, the brother of Nikolaas Tinbergen.



Could you give me the mailing address, e-mail address or fax number of a Nobel Laureate?

The Nobel Foundation does not disclose addresses to Nobel Laureates out of courtesy. Please contact the institution or university to which the Nobel Laureate was affiliated at the time of the award.


Are there any biographies of the Nobel Laureates?

All Nobel Laureates are presented with a biography, autobiography or a CV in the Nobel Laureates section of each Nobel Prize category. See, for example, Alan G. MacDiarmid – Autobiography

The autobiographies and biographies were written at the time of the award, either by the Nobel Laureate herself/himself or by an editor, and published in the annually year book series Les Prix Nobel. They were later republished in the book series Nobel Lectures, sometimes updated by an editor. The Nobel Laureates themselves can update their material with an addendum.

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Nobel Prizes

How many times have Nobel Prizes been awarded?

The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace have been awarded since 1901. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel has been awarded since 1969. During the period 1901-2009 a total of 537 prizes have been awarded. There have been a few years in which the Nobel Prize was not awarded, particularly during World War I and II. In the statutes of the Nobel Foundation it says: "If none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the first paragraph, the prize money shall be reserved until the following year. If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be added to the Foundation's restricted funds."

Category Number of prizes Years without a prize
Physics 103 6
Chemistry 101 8
Physiology or Medicine 100 9
Literature 102 7
Peace 90 19
   
Economic Sciences 41 0
     
Total 537  

 

Has anyone ever declined the Nobel Prize? Why?

Six Nobel Laureates have declined the Prize:
Richard Kuhn, the 1938 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was "caused by the authorities of his country to decline the award but later received the diploma and the medal";
Adolf Butenandt, the 1939 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, “Caused by the authorities of his country to decline the award but later received the diploma and the medal”;
Gerhard Domagk, the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, “Caused by the authorities of his country to decline the award but later received the diploma and the medal”;
Boris Pasternak, the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature, "Accepted first, later caused by the authorities of his country to decline the Prize";
Jean Paul Sartre, the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, declined the Prize;
Le Duc Tho, the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize, declined the Prize.

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Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies

When and where will the Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies take place this year?

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies and Banquets take place in Stockholm (for the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel) and in Oslo (for the Nobel Peace Prize) on December 10 every year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. For more information on the Nobel Week, please see the Award Ceremonies section.

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Nobel Lectures and other Speeches

Where can I find the Nobel Lectures and Speeches?

Nearly all Nobel Lectures and Speeches held at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and Banquet are available at this web site. (See, for example, Max Planck's Nobel Lecture.) The Banquet Speeches are only available in the language in which they were presented. (See, for example, speech in French by Maire Curie). They are also available in the Nobel book series Les Prix Nobel and/or Nobel Lectures.

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Copyright

Are there any copyright restrictions to the use of texts, photos and graphics from this web site?

To all questions regarding copyright, please see Copyright Information.

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The Nobel Name, Medals and Insignias

I would like to request permission to use the Nobel name, the Nobel medals and/or Nobel insignias.

The Nobel Foundation is most restrictive in permitting the use of these trademarks. For details, see Copyright Information.

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Sponsoring Outside Projects

Can the Nobel Foundation sponsor our project?

Unfortunately, no. Every year the Nobel Foundation receives a great number of invitations to participate in or sponsor different projects, many of them deserving, indeed. Thus, the Foundation has maintained a very strict policy of not engaging in events that are not directly related to the work of the Nobel Foundation or of the Nobel Prize-Awarding Institutions.

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Nobel Posters

Where can I get/buy Nobel Posters?

Contact the reception desk at The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (reception@kva.se) to order Nobel Posters (chemistry and physics). They charge a distribution fee for orders larger than 10 pieces. Please observe that some back-volumes are out of stock. The most recent posters are also available in table mat size (A3). For medicine posters, contact secr@mednobel.ki.se.

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Nobelprize.org

Are there any plans to present Nobelprize.org in other languages?

We can only support a version in English for the time being.


I would like permission to make a link to Nobelprize.org.

You may create a link to any document on our server. You don't have to ask for permission, but we would appreciate it if you would let us know. However, the link must not place our page within your frameset or in any other way become a part of your documents.

You may not, without permission, include any image, or other material, from our server into your own documents by referring to the document URL on our server. For details see Copyright Information.


Would it be possible for you to place a link to our server?

The Nobel Foundation is very strict in its linking policy. However, all link proposals will be considered.

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Technical Questions

What are the technical requirements for Nobelprize.org?

Nobelprize.org has been optimized for the resolution of 1024x768 and above. The site has been developed according to the W3C web standards (XHTML 1.0 Transitional) and we recommend using any of the modern web browsers. The site has been tested in IE 5.5 and higher as well as Firefox 1.5 and higher. We recommend that javascript is turned on.

What formats can I view the videos in?

Currently we provide our videos in Flash and Windows Media formats.

Can I download the videos?

Yes, most videos (depending on origin and copyright) are provided as download for personal and educational purposes.

Why can't my RealPlayer connect to your server?

Do you have a proxy server between you and Internet? Check the proxy settings in your RealPlayer and make sure that your proxy server support RealVideo.

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