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==Early Life==

==Early Life==

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in [[Sweden]] on October 21, 1833.  He was the third son of Immanuel Nobel, the  inventor of modern [[plywood]]. At the age of 9 his family moved to [[St. Petersburg]] where his father founded a factory to make naval mines for use in the [[Crimean War]].  As a wealth and successful industrialist Immanuel was able to give his sons a first-class education by [[homeschooling|private tutors]]. In Russia, Alfred studied chemistry under Professor Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin.  He also achieved fluency in five languages; Swedish Russian, English French and German. Alfred had a wide variety of interests ranging from chemistry and physics to English literature and [[poetry]].  In order to widen his son's horizons, Immanuel Nobel sent Alfred abroad for further training in chemical engineering and in a two-year period he visited [[France]], [[Germany]], Sweden and the [[United States]]. [[Paris]] became his favorite city and whilst working in a private laboratory there he met Ascanio Sobrero, the inventor of the volatile and unpredictable, powerful explosive; [[nitroglycerine]].  Alfred took an interest in this unstable compound for which he saw great potential if it could be tamed.   

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in [[Sweden]] on October 21, 1833.  He was the third son of Immanuel Nobel, the  inventor of modern [[plywood]]. At the age of 9 his family moved to [[St. Petersburg]] where his father founded a factory to make naval mines for use in the [[Crimean War]].  As a wealth and successful industrialist Immanuel was able to give his sons a first-class education by [[homeschooling|private tutors]]. In Russia, Alfred studied chemistry under Professor Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin.  He also achieved fluency in five languages; Swedish Russian, English French and German. Alfred had a wide variety of interests ranging from chemistry and physics to English literature and [[poetry]].  In order to widen his son's horizons, Immanuel Nobel sent Alfred abroad for further training in chemical engineering and in a two-year period he visited [[France]], [[Germany]], Sweden and the [[United States]]. [[Paris]] became his favorite city and whilst working in a private laboratory there he met Ascanio Sobrero, the inventor of the volatile and unpredictable, powerful explosive; [[nitroglycerine]].  Alfred took an interest in this unstable compound for which he saw great potential if it could be tamed.   

==The Invention Of Dynamite==

==The Invention Of Dynamite==

Alfred was requested to return to Russia in 1852 in order help with the family business which was booming because of the munitions being delivered to the Russian Army.  In [[Russia]] Alfred worked with his father to develop a stable version of nitroglycerine.  However, with the end of the war Immanuel Nobel's business was forced into bankruptcy leaving the two eldest sons, Robert and Ludvig, to salvage the company. Returning to Sweden in 1863, Alfred continued his development of nitroglycerine.  After several explosions, including one that killed hs brother Emil, the authorities prohibited his research within the Stockholm city limits and he moved to a barge anchored on Lake Mälaren.  After starting commercial production of nitroglycerine in 1864 Nobel experimented with different additives.  He discoverd that by mixing it with ''[[kieselguhr]]'' the volatile liquid became a realtively stable paste which could be shaped into cylinders for insertion into drilled holes.  He patented this material in 1867 under the name '''[[dynamite]]'''.  In order to produce an explosion from the stable compound he also invented the detonator or blasting cap, which could be triggered by the ignition of a fuse. The parallel invention of the diamond drilling crown meant that the costs of major civil engineerng works were drastically reduced.

Alfred was requested to return to Russia in 1852 in order help with the family business which was booming because of the munitions being delivered to the Russian Army.  In [[Russia]] Alfred worked with his father to develop a stable version of nitroglycerine.  However, with the end of the war Immanuel Nobel's business was forced into bankruptcy leaving the two eldest sons, Robert and Ludvig, to salvage the company. Returning to Sweden in 1863, Alfred continued his development of nitroglycerine.  After several explosions, including one that killed hs brother Emil, the authorities prohibited his research within the Stockholm city limits and he moved to a barge anchored on Lake Mälaren.  After starting commercial production of nitroglycerine in 1864 Nobel experimented with different additives.  He discoverd that by mixing it with ''[[kieselguhr]]'' the volatile liquid became a realtively stable paste which could be shaped into cylinders for insertion into drilled holes.  He patented this material in 1867 under the name '''[[dynamite]]'''.  In order to produce an explosion from the stable compound he also invented the detonator or blasting cap, which could be triggered by the ignition of a fuse. The parallel invention of the diamond drilling crown meant that the costs of major civil engineerng works were drastically reduced.

==Commercial Success==

==Commercial Success==

The market for Nobel's products grew rapidly and Alfred proved to be a skilful businessman as well as a scientist. By 1865 his factory in Germany was exporting nitroglycerine explosives throughout the world. Eventually he built 90 laboratories and factories in 20 different countries.  While basing himself in [[Paris]], [[France]] he continued to travel widely and was described by [[Victor Hugo]] as "Europe's richest vagabond".  Not content with developing explosives, Nobel registered 355 [[patent|patents]] including materials such as synthetic [[rubber]], [[leather]] and [[silk]].

The market for Nobel's products grew rapidly and Alfred proved to be a skilful businessman as well as a scientist. By 1865 his factory in Germany was exporting nitroglycerine explosives throughout the world. Eventually he built 90 laboratories and factories in 20 different countries.  While basing himself in [[Paris]], [[France]] he continued to travel widely and was described by [[Victor Hugo]] as "Europe's richest vagabond".  Not content with developing explosives, Nobel registered 355 [[patent|patents]] including materials such as synthetic [[rubber]], [[leather]] and [[silk]].

==Personal Life==

==Personal Life==

Alfred Nobel's dedication to his work and travel did not leave much room for family life.  Feeling like an old man at the age of 43 he advertised in a newspaper - "Wealthy, highly-educated elderly gentleman seeks lady of mature age, versed in languages, as secretary and supervisor of household." The position was taken by the Austrian, Countess Bertha Kinsky. She worked a short time for Nobel but returned to Austria to marry Count Arthur von Suttner.  Despite this, she and Alfred remained firm friends and corresponded with each other for many years.

Alfred Nobel's dedication to his work and travel did not leave much room for family life.  Feeling like an old man at the age of 43 he advertised in a newspaper - "Wealthy, highly-educated elderly gentleman seeks lady of mature age, versed in languages, as secretary and supervisor of household." The position was taken by the Austrian, Countess Bertha Kinsky. She worked a short time for Nobel but returned to Austria to marry Count Arthur von Suttner.  Despite this, she and Alfred remained firm friends and corresponded with each other for many years.

==War And Peace==

==War And Peace==

Nobel became one of the first proponents of MAD ([[mutually-assured destruction]]) when he said :

Nobel became one of the first proponents of MAD ([[mutually-assured destruction]]) when he said :