GYANM’S GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2014 1

Story of NOBEL PRIZES

ALFRED NOBEL, a famous scientist, inventor, businessman and founder of the Nobel Prizes was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He died in San Remo, Italy on December 10, 1896.

In his last will and testament, he wrote that much of his fortune should be used to give prizes to those who have done their best for humanity in the field of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. Not everybody was pleased with this. His will was opposed by his relatives and questioned by authorities in various countries. It took four years for his executors to convince all parties to follow Alfred's wishes.

The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden's central bank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel. The prizes are decided by the various Swedish Academies and announced every year in October and presented at Stockholm, Sweden on the Nobel’s death anniversary – December 10. However, the Peace Prize is presented at Oslo, Norway as the same is decided by an expert committee of Parliament of Norway. The Nobel Prize amount for 2014 is set at Swedish Kronor 8.0 million (USD 1.25 million) for full Nobel Prize.

PRIZE FIELD

PRIZE DECIDED BY

WINNER OF 2014 SELECTED WORK

Physiology or Medicine

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm

John O’Keefe of the USA, May-Britt & Edward Moser of Norway

For discovering brain’s internal positioning system, helping humans find their ways and giving clues to how strokes and Alzheimer affect the brain.

Physics The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano from Japan and U.S. citizen Shuji Nakamura

For inventing blue light-emitting diodes, a breakthrough that has spurred the development of LED technology to light up homes, computer screens and smartphones worldwide.

Chemistry The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Eric Betzig and William Moerner from the USA; Stefan Hell from Germany

For finding ways to make microscopes more powerful than previously thought possible, allowing scientists to see how diseases develop inside the tiniest cells.

Literature The Swedish Academy

Patrick Modiano, France For his moody, terse and occasionally dreamlike novels, often set during the Nazi occupation of France

Peace The Norwegian Nobel Committee

Indian child right activist Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai (See details below)

For their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of education for all children.

Economics The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Jean Tirole, France

For research on market power and regulation that has helped policy-makers understand how to deal with industries dominated by a few dominant companies

MALALA YOUSAFZAI (12-07-1997) She is a 17 year old Pakistani child activist who has become a world icon of crusade for education for poor girls. She was only 12 years old when her anonymous diary published by BBC captivated audiences with its heartfelt account of the struggle for girls' education against the wishes of Taliban. She was shot in the head by Taliban militants in October 2012 for campaigning for girls' education. She was flown to UK for special treatment where she won the struggle for life and was discharged in January, 2013 and has been staying in Birmingham, UK since then. She was named one of TIME magazine's most influential people in 2013, put forward for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, won the European Parliament's Sakharov price for Freedom of Thought and her autobiography "I Am Malala" was released in 2013.

KAILASH SATYARTHI (11-01-1954) He is an electrical engineer by education, settled in New Delhi. He is a true follower of Mahatma Gandhi is known for heading various forms of peaceful protests "focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain." Even at the risk to his personal life, he confronted several factories to ‘free’ the bonded child labour. He founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980 in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, which campaigns for child rights and for an end to human trafficking. Till date, his efforts have proved successful in saving over 83,000 children in 144 countries from the slavery of child labour.