829 Nobel Laureates!

806 Laureates and 23 organizations have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2009. Of them, 64 are Laureates in Economic Sciences. A small number of Laureates and organizations have been honoured more than once, which means that 802 individuals and 20 unique organizations have received the Nobel Prize in total. See "Multiple Nobel Laureates".

List of all Nobel Laureates »
List of Nobel Prize awarded organizations »

Lists of all Nobel Laureates in
| Physics | Chemistry | Physiology or Medicine | Literature | Peace |
| Economic Sciences |

537 Nobel Prizes!

Between 1901 and 2009, the Nobel Prizes and the Prize in Economic Sciences were awarded 537 times. There have been a few years in which the Nobel Prize was not awarded, particularly during World War I and II. In the statutes of the Nobel Foundation it says: "If none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the first paragraph, the prize money shall be reserved until the following year. If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be added to the Foundation's restricted funds."

Why is that? In the statutes of the Nobel Foundation it says: "A prize amount may be equally divided between two works, each of which is considered to merit a prize. If a work that is being rewarded has been produced by two or three persons, the prize shall be awarded to them jointly. In no case may a prize amount be divided between more than three persons."

Only 41 Nobel Prizes to women!

41 Nobel Prizes and Prizes in Economic Sciences have been awarded to women and 765 to men between 1901 and 2009. A small number of Laureates have been honoured more than once, which makes a total of 40 females and 762 males who have received the Nobel Prize.

List of all female Nobel Laureates »

The youngest Nobel Laureate

To date, the youngest Laureate is Lawrence Bragg, who was just 25 years old when he received the Nobel Prize in Physics with his father in 1915.
List of youngest Nobel Laureates »

The oldest Nobel Laureate

The oldest Laureate to date is Leonid Hurwicz, who was 90 years old when he was awarded the 2007 Prize in Economic Sciences.
List of oldest Nobel Laureates »

Oldest Living Nobel Laureate

The Nobel Laureate who has lived to the oldest age is Rita Levi-Montalcini, who was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She celebrated her 100th anniversary on 22 April 2009!

Two Nobel Laureates have declined the Nobel Prize!

Jean-Paul Sartre, awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, declined the prize because he had consistently declined all official honours.

Le Duc Tho, awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. They were awarded the Prize for negotiating the Vietnam peace accord. Le Doc Tho said that he was not in a position to accept the Prize, citing the situation in Vietnam as his reason.

Four Nobel Laureates have been forced by authorities to decline the Nobel Prize!

Adolf Hitler forbade three German Nobel Laureates, Richard Kuhn, Adolf Butenandt and Gerhard Domagk, from accepting the Nobel Prize. All of them could later receive the Nobel Prize Diploma and Medal, but not the prize amount..

Boris Pasternak, the 1958 Nobel Laureate in Literature, initially accepted the Prize but was later coerced by the authorities of the Soviet Union, his native country, to decline the Prize.

Multiple Nobel Laureates

The work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been honoured by a Nobel Peace Prize three times. Besides, the founder of the ICRC, Henry Dunant, was awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

Linus Pauling is the only person to have been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes - the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize.

J. Bardeen	M. Curie	L. Pauling
Physics 1956 Physics 1972	Physics 1903 Chemistry 1911	Chemistry 1954 Peace 1962
F. Sanger	ICRC	UNHCR
Chemistry 1958 Chemistry 1980	Peace 1917 Peace 1944 Peace 1963	Peace 1954 Peace 1981

"Family Nobel Laureates"

As you may notice, the Curies were a very successful 'Nobel Prize family'. Marie Curie herself was awarded two Nobel Prizes. Read more about Marie and Pierre Curie and the Discovery of Polonium and Radium. »

Links to more facts on the Nobel Prizes:
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physics
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Literature
Facts on the Nobel Peace Prize
Facts on the Prize in Economic Sciences
Nomination Facts