Alfred Nobel died on this day in 1896. Born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1833. While today he's known as the founder of the Nobel prizes, at the time he was known for something more bombastic. Nobel was sent by his father, an explosives manufacturer, at age 17 to Paris, where he worked in laboratories, including with the inventor of nitroglycerin. From that foundation, Nobel created dynamite, which was many magnitudes more powerful than gunpowder.
The new explosive allowed for the quick clearance of land for construction, more effective mining, and other big engineering projects, including the Hoover Dam and Panama Canal. It was also used in huge quantities in warfare. The work made him incredibly wealthy. A year before his death, he updated his will to require the creation of a set of annual global awards in the sciences, literature, and peacemaking. The first was awarded in 1901.
For more on Nobel's life and work, see this article from History.com.
