FACTS ON THE NOBLE PRIZE IN PHYSICS

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Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physics

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. As described in Nobel's will, one part was dedicated to “the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics”. Learn more about the Nobel Prize in Physics from 1901 to 2011.

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	Number of Nobel Prizes in Physics 105 Nobel Prizes in Physics have been awarded since 1901. It was not awarded on six occasions: in 1916, 1931, 1934, 1940, 1941, and 1942. Why were the Nobel Prizes not awarded in those years? In the statutes of the Nobel Foundation it says: "If none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the first paragraph, the prize money shall be reserved until the following year. If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be added to the Foundation's restricted funds." During World War I and II, fewer Nobel Prizes were awarded.
	Number of shared and unshared Nobel Prizes in Physics 47 Physics Prizes have been given to one Laureate only. 29 Physics Prizes have been shared by two Laureates. 29 Physics Prizes have been shared between three Laureates. Why is that? In the statutes of the Nobel Foundation it says: "A prize amount may be equally divided between two works, each of which is considered to merit a prize. If a work that is being rewarded has been produced by two or three persons, the prize shall be awarded to them jointly. In no case may a prize amount be divided between more than three persons."
	Number of Nobel Laureates* in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to 192 Laureates 1901-2011. As John Bardeen has been awarded twice there are 191 individuals who have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics since 1901. List of all Nobel Prize Laureates in Physics
	Youngest Physics Laureate To date, the youngest Nobel Laureate in Physics is Lawrence Bragg, who was 25 years old when he was awarded the Nobel Prize with his father in 1915. Bragg is not only the youngest Physics Laureate, he is also the youngest Nobel Laureate in any Nobel Prize area.
	Oldest Physics Laureate The oldest Nobel Laureate in Physics to date is Raymond Davis Jr., who was 88 years old when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2002.
	Female Nobel Laureates in Physics Of the 191 individuals awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, only two are women. 1903 - Marie Curie (also awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.) 1963 - Maria Goeppert-Mayer List of all 43 female Nobel Laureates
	Multiple Nobel Laureates in Physics John Bardeen is the only person who has received the Nobel Prize in Physics twice. Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize twice, once in Physics and once in Chemistry. John Bardeen Physics 1956 Physics 1972 Marie Curie Physics 1903 Chemistry 1911 See list of multiple Nobel Laureates within other Nobel Prize areas here
	Posthumous Nobel Prizes in Physics There have been no posthumous Nobel Prizes in Physics. From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Prize cannot be awarded posthumously, unless death has occurred after the announcement of the Nobel Prize. Before 1974, the Nobel Prize has only been awarded posthumously twice: to Dag Hammarskjöld (Nobel Peace Prize 1961) and Erik Axel Karlfeldt (Nobel Prize in Literature 1931).
	Family Nobel Laureates in Physics Married couples: Marie Curie and Pierre Curie were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903. Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize a second time in 1911, this time receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (One of Marie and Pierre Curie's daughters, Irène Joliot-Curie , was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 together with her husband Frédéric Joliot.) Father & son: (All awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.) William Bragg and Lawrence Bragg, 1915 Niels Bohr, 1922 and Aage N. Bohr, 1975 Manne Siegbahn, 1924 and Kai M. Siegbahn, 1981 J. J. Thomson, 1906 and George Paget Thomson, 1937
	*Why are the individuals and organisations awarded a Nobel Prize called Nobel Laureates? The word "Laureate" refers to being signified by the laurel wreath. In Greek mythology, the god Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head. A laurel wreath is a circular crown made of branches and leaves of the bay laurel (In latin: Laurus nobilis). In ancient Greek laurel wreaths were awarded to victors as a sign of honour - both in athletic competitions and in poetic meets.
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