Nobel Prize Establishment Day

What Is "Nobel Prize Establishment Day" on November 27?

On November 27, 1895, Swedish inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel signed his will in Paris. The will stated that his fortune should be used to fund a prize awarded annually to those who had made the greatest contribution to humankind in five fields: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. This became the origin of the Nobel Prize. After Nobel's death, the prizes have been awarded every year since 1901.

Alfred Nobel and Dynamite

Nobel invented dynamite in the 1860s (patented in 1867) and built an enormous fortune from the patent. However, he was deeply troubled by the fact that explosives were used in war and destruction, and he was sometimes called a "merchant of death." The motivation behind establishing the Nobel Prize is said to have come from a desire to atone for his invention's role in human destruction, while leaving behind a lasting contribution to science, culture, and peace.

The Nobel Prize Categories and Award Ceremony

The Nobel Prize currently has six categories: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economics (added in 1969). The award ceremony is held on December 10—the anniversary of Nobel's death—in Stockholm, Sweden (the Peace Prize ceremony is held in Oslo, Norway). As of 2024, the prize money is 11 million Swedish kronor.

Japanese Nobel Prize Laureates (Notable Recipients)

• Hideki Yukawa (1949, Physics): The first Japanese laureate, recognized for his prediction of the meson
• Yasunari Kawabata (1968, Literature): Author of "Snow Country" and "The Old Capital," Japan's first laureate in literature
• Susumu Tonegawa (1987, Physiology or Medicine): For uncovering the genetic principle behind antibody diversity
• Satoshi Omura (2015, Physiology or Medicine): For developing ivermectin, a treatment for tropical infectious diseases
• Syukuro Manabe (2021, Physics): For his research on climate change modeling

In 2024 Nihon Hidankyo won the Peace Prize, and in 2025 Shimon Sakaguchi (Physiology or Medicine) and Susumu Kitagawa (Chemistry) were honored. Counting laureates who held foreign citizenship at the time, Japan-related laureates totaled 31 people and one organization through 2025, the most of any non-Western country.

Things to Think About on Nobel Prize Establishment Day

November 27 is a day to reflect on the ideals of intellectual curiosity, the spirit of inquiry, and contributions to humanity. Following the Nobel Prize news each October and learning about the laureates' research and life stories can open up new perspectives on science, literature, and peace.