who was nobel prize named after

The Nobel Prize was named after Alfred Bernhard Nobel, a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. Nobel is best known for inventing dynamite and for bequeathing his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes, which recognize outstanding achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The establishment of the Nobel Prizes was inspired in part by Nobel's desire to leave a better legacy, especially after reading a premature obituary that labeled him "the merchant of death" due to his invention of explosives. Nobel's will set aside the bulk of his estate to fund these prizes, which have been awarded annually since 1901.