What makes a person notable? It is a topic that has been debated for quite a while, actually. The Merriam Webster Dictionary describes 'notable' as: Definition 1 (adj): Worthy of note; remarkable. "A notable author."
But, as it turns out, there is no one definitive answer. It depends on who you ask, really. Some person may say that perhaps the things that constitute to make a notable is hard work and luck. Another could argue that fame or changing the world could be the causes. After a few rounds of asking, it becomes clear that everyone seems to have differing opinions. Take, for instance, this quote from English actor Tom Felton:
"The idea of being famous is a lot better than the reality."
Like I said, 'differing opinions'.
But whatever your perspective is, I will discuss later on about this perplexing topic, and in addition I'll state why my chosen 'notable', Alfred Nobel, has contributed positively to society.
Career
There are many past accounts of accidental handing of dynamite. One such example was in 1896, when eight trucks were loaded with 60 tonnes total of the explosive substance at Braamfontein, Johannesburg. On February 19, the impact of a vehicle collision triggered a chain reaction with the dynamite, the fatal end of 80 people. The event came to be known as the Braamfontein Explosion.
Taking this into account, it may seem a little odd, ironic even, that Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prizes, would invent one of the most deadly weapons in history.
Contrary to what most people may think, prior to his success, it may surprise you that Nobel was born at a tenuous period for his family. Immanuel Nobel, Alfred's father, had to close the doors to his business and filed for bankruptcy. As their financial situation grew less severe later on, his father could now afford a "first class education". Instead of a standard schooling, Immanuel selected a bunch of private teachers who would educate Alfred and encourage his zest for chemistry, engineering, and language. At 18, he wrote an autobiographical poem titled "You say I am a Riddle", describing the hard times his family went through.
Nobel travelled to Paris after his education was over, meeting chemist Ascanio Sobrero, the discover of nitroglycerin: a highly unstable substance. It was there he faced a challenge that even his father could not conquer.
Initially basing his thorough investigations on Sobrero's nitroglycerin, Nobel spent years perfecting his innovation. He discovered if the substance was sealed inside a copper tube along with gunpowder, the resulting explosion would be controlled and easy to use. During these laborious tests, he unearthed gelignite. With dynamite now a major production, his brothers, especially Emil, opted to join in. Historians believe Emil's lack of experience lead to the ensuing catastrophe: on 3 September he perished in an eruption of the explosive.
In 1888, his brother Ludvig perished - of course Nobel was grieved - but it was the headline that caught his attention. First vexed to see he'd been mistaken for his now deceased brother, the paper declared him as 'Le marchand de la mort est mort,' or 'The Merchant of Death is dead.'
From my Diary Entry:
At least I’m luckier than most. I still remember my brother Emil, on that fateful, fateful day at the factory. And Ludvig. Dear, dear, Ludvig. As soon as I write his name down here, I begin thinking about the mistaken obituary. ‘Merchant of Death’, it proclaimed. ‘Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.’ This has brought me back to my initial thought: What is the legacy I’ll leave behind? My eyes begin to weep when I read what I’ve written. The Merchant of Death - is this the way I want to be remembered? Is this the way that I want to be forgotten? Is this my fate?
I've just added the finishing touches to my will. I have my doubts that the prizes will ever be executed, but it’s still worth a try. At least it's better than nothing. As I conclude my final entry, I can only hope the world would realize that I never intended my inventions to be used in this horrific way. Oh, if only they could understand me.
If only there was some more peace left in the world.
Nobel suffered from a stroke on the 7th December, 1896. The first notified wasn't a family member but rather an apprentice by the name of Ragnar Sohlman, who grew to greatly respect his master. Despite his hopes that Nobel would somehow manage to recuperate, the chemist died three days later. As he wished, Alfred's ashes were laid in his family's cemetery in Stockholm, Sweden and Sohlman began to execute his will. The first Nobel Prizes were announced in 1901, and, just like its creator hoped it would, is a distinguished honour to this day.
Notable?
A thing that strikes me as remarkable in Nobel's life is that he had grown up in impoverishment, then continued to face calamity as an inventor. During the course of his upbringing, Immanuel, his father, had closed his business, and an accidental fire reducing their shelter to charred remains didn't help either.
Things seemed to be looking less bleak as in June 1862, as he finally reached a breakthrough. The chemist, after hours of tinkering, produced a stable variation of nitroglycerin he branded 'dynamite', earning a patent for his discovery that same year. His situation got worse though as Emil, his brother, died in a blast at their father's laboratory due to a mishandling of the invention. However, he did not want his death to be in vain. So he pushed himself to the limits, earing 355 patents in a lifetime. But as decades passed, he was scorned for the creation of his explosives.
Below is an extract from my Bioriddle.
He had one dream, a thought, a vision,
That someday, one day the world will agree
His inventions, conceptions would create "golden peace"
But alas! That was not meant to be...
"The Merchant of Death" he was condemned
He realised in his explosives, he would never exult
In his will, a heavy heart founded a prize,
And the world is a much better place as a result.
All those hours, locked up in a laboratory, only to be blamed for causing fatalities in war. Sure, people realised the magnitude of this invention and it was reasonable to be used in war, but you cannot fully blame its creator. He never intended them to be used this way, musing only about benefits to the industry. The public's disapproval was demonstrated when he was called a Merchant of Death.
Absolutely remarkable, how he got through all that.
Trying to compensate the losses caused by his 'innovations', he had allocated his lifetime fortune to the Nobel Prizes, in the wish that his esteem would be raised.
And that, I think, is the most notable thing Nobel has done in his life.
Legacy and the Nobel Prizes
The following is an extract from 'The World was Wide Enough' from Hamilton, a Broadway Musical:
I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory,
Is this where it gets me, on my feet, several feet ahead of me...?
Legacy, what is a legacy?
It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see,
I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me...
"What is a legacy?" That was what Alfred Nobel was contemplating as he read the obituary. His brother Ludvig had died – that was unpleasant enough – but it was the headline that seized his alarm. First surprised to see he'd been mistaken for his now deceased brother, the context was abhorring.
"Merchant of Death", it read. "Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday."
You see, Nobel's inventions were widely used in wartimes, as well dispatching several people in accidental explosions in the industry. Considering this, it is no doubt that the general public thought so poorly about him.
Is this, he thought, how I want to be remembered? The merchant of death who rose to fame? Is this how I will leave an impact on the world, is this how I will leave a legacy?
Nobel resolved soon after that this 'Legacy' he left would be a legacy of peace. In 1892, an attendance to the International Peace Congress stirred up an idea for what to do to gain back his reputation.
Nobel never intended for his inventions to have any concern with warfare. He was well known to once say: "My dynamite will sooner lead to peace than a thousand world conventions. As soon as men will find that in one instant, whole armies can be utterly destroyed, they surely will abide by golden peace."
Unfortunately, this was not to be.
In 1893, he formed a concept for an annual prize that would be given to "the person who had done most to advance the idea of general peace." Giving 94% of his wealth to this cause, the categories were: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. Economic Sciences wasn't added until 1968.
What distinguishes Nobel from all others is because he had founded a prize (with almost all his wealth!) that commends people, like him, who've contributed and excelled in the fields listed above. Everyone now days thinks of the Nobel Prize as an honour, precisely what Nobel envisioned it would be.
Reflection
In retrospect, I can see that it was a wise choice to pick Nobel for my notable, as there are numerous inspirations and connections that I can make through his life. Below are just a few.
The prospect of choosing Nobel as my notable was quite high to begin with. He initially piqued my curiosity when I first took an interest in the Nobel Prizes back in 2019. I found it fascinating to look at the laureates' new revolutionary discoveries and works; there is usually an explanation of this in the presentation of the award with an exception for literature and peace.
Additionally, there is a great deal of tenacity in Alfred's career. He spent up to 18 hours a day to try uncover a formula for a stable nitroglycerin, through 'trial and error'. This may be applied to my life in many different scenarios. Nobel was like that, except on a much larger scale.
As mentioned in my Visible Thinking Routine, a recurring theme of 'reputation' is embedded into his life and career, especially towards its end – the establishment of the Prize. Nobel's career has proved that there may be hardships in life as well as general disregard, but 'bad times always pass' so long as you persevere, and anything can be achieved with profundity and introspection. I have taken this into account in my own life, and I can say that I've become a better person.
Alfred Nobel's life cannot be summed up in just a few words. It is dumbfounding to think how much he's been through – and I'm not overstating either, believe me. I am certain that you, dear reader, having reached this article's conclusion, understand how he grew up in deprivation and hardship. How his youngest brother Emil perished. The endless hours experimenting with nitroglycerin in his father's laboratory, only to be declared as a merchant of death. The shaking hand that wrote the will. If there was one thing above anything else that I learnt, it would be that you can't say that a person is 'worthy' to pick for this project based on a single deed. A person must look at his or her entire life. And that rings true for Alfred Bernhard Nobel.
Notable? I think so.