Facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
On 27
November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the
largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. As
described in Nobel's will one part was dedicated to “the person who shall have
made the most important chemical discovery or improvement”. Learn more about
the Nobel Prize in Chemistry from 1901 to 2014.
Number of Nobel Prizes in Chemistry: 106 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry have been awarded since
1901. It was not awarded on eight occasions: in 1916, 1917, 1919, 1924, 1933,
1940, 1941 and 1942.
Number of Shared and Unshared Nobel Prizes in Chemistry
63 Chemistry
Prizes have been given to one Laureate only.
23 Chemistry
Prizes have been shared by two Laureates.
20 Chemistry
Prizes have been shared between three Laureates.
Number of Nobel Laureates* in Chemistry: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to 169
Laureates 1901-2014. As Frederick Sanger has been awarded twice, there are 168
individuals who have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry since 1901.
Average Age: The average
age of all Chemistry Laureates between 1901 and 2014 is 58 years.
Youngest Chemistry Laureate: To date, the youngest Nobel Laureate in Chemistry is Frédéric Joliot, who
was 35 years old when he was awarded the Chemistry Prize in 1935, together with
his wife, Irène Joliot-Curie.
Oldest Chemistry Laureate: The oldest Nobel Laureate in Chemistry to date is John B. Fenn, who was 85
years old when he was awarded the Chemistry Prize in 2002.
Female Nobel Laureates in Chemistry: Of the 168 individuals awarded the Nobel Prize in
Chemistry, four are women so far. Two of these four women, Marie Curie and
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, were awarded with unshared Chemistry Prizes.
1911 - Marie
Curie (also awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics)
1935 - Irène
Joliot-Curie (daughter of Marie Curie and wife to Frédéric Joliot)
1964 -
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin
2009 - Ada
Yonath
Multiple Nobel Laureates in Chemistry: Linus Pauling is the only person who have been awarded
two unshared Nobel Prizes.
Family Nobel Laureates in Chemistry:
The Curies
were the most successful "Nobel Prize family”. The husband-and-wife
partnership of Marie Curie and Pierre Curie were awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize
in Physics. Marie Curie herself was awarded the Nobel Prize a second time,
receiving the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Marie and Pierre Curie's eldest
daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, was awarded the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry,
together with her husband, Frédéric Joliot. The younger daughter, Ève Curie,
worked for the UNICEF and was married to Henry R. Labouisse. He accepted the
Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of UNICEF in 1965.
More
"Nobel Prize families", where at least one member was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry:
Hans von
Euler-Chelpin (father), Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 1929.
Ulf von
Euler (son), Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine 1970.
Arthur
Kornberg (father), Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine 1959.
Roger D.
Kornberg (son), Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2006.
Forced to Decline the Nobel Prize:
Two Nobel
Laureates in Chemistry have been forced by authorities to decline the Nobel
Prize. Adolf Hitler forbade three German Nobel Laureates from receiving the
Nobel Prize - two of whom were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Richard
Kuhn in 1938 and Adolf Butenandt in 1939. The third person, Gerhard Domagk was
awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1939. All of them could
receive the Nobel Prize Diploma and Medal later, but not the prize amount.
Nobel Laureate Partnerships in Biomedical Science: Many long scientific partnerships have resulted in Nobel
Prizes:
All
Nobel prizes in Chemistry: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded 106
times to 169 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2014. Frederick Sanger is the
only Nobel Laureate who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice, in
1958 and 1980. This means that a total of 168 individuals have received the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Click on the links to get more information.
