Alfred Nobel should have received a Nobel Prize for inventing what is considered by most to be the most prestigious accolade in the world. The Nobel Prize is not only is an award for being brilliant, but also an award for being brilliant for the common good. Before dedicating his money towards seeking out and rewarding the world’s best and brightest, Alfred Nobel was an inventor. His most influential invention is the dynamite.
When his obituary was printed in 1888, the headline read; “The Merchant of Death is Dead.” There was only one little problem with this obituary; Nobel wasn’t dead yet. However, he became obsessed with the faux-death announcement. It is rumoured that he decided to set up the Nobel Prize to protect his future reputation from obituary writers.