Home of the Nobel Prize

Photo of Stockholm City Hall at NightPhoto of Stockholm City Hall at Night
Stockholm City Hall is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet and is one of Stockholm’s major tourist attractions.

​​​​​​​Photo: Werner Nystrand/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
Alfred Nobel is one of the most famous Swedish innovators of all time.
Nobel was a chemist, engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur who held 355 patents and is best known for his discovery of dynamite. In his will, Nobel specified that his fortune was to be dedicated to prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace “to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.” In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank, Sweden’s central bank, established the prize in economic sciences in memory of Nobel. The first Nobel Prize was awarded to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, in 1901, for his discovery of X-rays.​​​​​​
​​​​The award ceremonies are held annually on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. The Nobel Peace Prize award takes place in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. The Nobel Prize continues to encourage scientists, researchers, writers, and peace advocates in their work. The Nobel Prize is broadly considered to be the most prestigious award in the world.
In 1903, Marie Curie became the first woman to be honored with a Nobel Prize when she was named a joint winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics for her research on radioactivity.
Photo of the nobel prize ceremonyPhoto of the nobel prize ceremony
© Nobel Media AB 2015. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud
More than 380 Americans have been awarded the Nobel Prize—more than any other nationality in the world.