Alfred Nobel Signs the Will Behind the Nobel Prizes
Alfred Nobel signed his last will in Paris on November 27, 1895.
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The Event
Alfred Nobel signed his last will in Paris on November 27, 1895. It directed much of his fortune toward prizes recognizing work in several fields.
The Wider Story
Putting the will into effect required legal and administrative work after his death. Institutions and prize-awarding procedures had to be established before awards could be presented.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901.
Reading the Historical Record
This anniversary concerns the will, not a prize ceremony, and the later economics prize should not be inserted into Nobel's original list.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: a late-nineteenth-century Paris desk with a sealed legal document and pen, no readable signature imitation. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
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