Whose Chemistry Created Dynamite?

Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) spent years working with nitroglycerin, an extremely powerful but dangerously unstable liquid explosive discovered by Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1847. After several laboratory accidents (including one in 1864 that killed his younger brother Emil and four others), Nobel discovered that mixing nitroglycerin with kieselguhr (diatomaceous earth) created a stable paste that could be shaped into sticks and detonated reliably with a blasting cap. He patented dynamite in 1867, and it revolutionised mining, tunnelling, and construction. Nobel amassed an enormous fortune from 355 patents and factories across 20 countries. After a premature obituary in 1888 condemned him as a "merchant of death," Nobel resolved to leave a better legacy: his will directed that his fortune fund annual prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The Nobel Prizes have been awarded since 1901.