Salts of the basic element hafnium, was discovered by the 1943 Chemistry Laureate George de Hevesy

© Nobel Media. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud

Facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

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 chemical discovery or improvement”. Learn more about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry from 1901 to 2023.

Number of Nobel Prizes in Chemistry

115 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry have been awarded since 1901. It was not awarded on eight occasions: in 1916, 1917, 1919, 1924, 1933, 1940, 1941 and 1942.

Why were the chemistry 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.


Shared and unshared Nobel Prizes in Chemistry

63 chemistry prizes have been given to one laureate only.
25 chemistry prizes have been shared by two laureates.
27 chemistry 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 Prize laureates in chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to 194 laureates* 1901-2023. As Frederick Sanger and Barry Sharpless has been awarded twice, there are 192 individuals who have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry since 1901.

List of all Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry


Youngest chemistry laureate

To date, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry is Frédéric Joliot, who was 35 years old when he was awarded the chemistry prize in 1935, together with his wife, Irène Joliot-Curie.


Oldest chemistry laureate

The oldest Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry to date is John B. Goodenough, who was 97 years old when he was awarded the chemistry prize in 2019. He is also the oldest laureate to be awarded in all prize categories.


Female Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry

Of the 192individuals awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, eight are women so far. Two of these eight women, Marie Curie and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, were awarded unshared chemistry prizes.

1911 – Marie Curie (also awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics)
1935 – Irène Joliot-Curie (daughter of Marie Curie and wife to Frédéric Joliot)
1964 – Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin
2009 – Ada Yonath
2018 – Frances H. Arnold
2020 – Emmanuelle Charpentier
2020 – Jennifer A. Doudna
2022 – Carolyn R. Bertozzi

List of all female Nobel Prize laureates


Multiple Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry

Marie Curie
Physics 1903
Chemistry 1911

Linus Pauling
Chemistry 1954
Peace 1962

Frederick Sanger
Chemistry 1958
Chemistry 1980

Barry Sharpless
Chemistry 2001
Chemistry 2022

Linus Pauling is the only person who have been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes.

List of multiple Nobel Prize laureates within other prize categories


Posthumous Nobel Prizes in Chemistry

There have been no posthumous Nobel Prizes in Chemistry. From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Nobel 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 Prize laureates in chemistry

The Curies were the most successful “Nobel Prize family”. The husband-and-wife partnership of Marie Curie and Pierre Curie were awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics. Marie Curie herself was awarded the Nobel Prize a second time, receiving the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Marie and Pierre Curie’s eldest daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, was awarded the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, together with her husband, Frédéric Joliot. The younger daughter, Ève Curie, worked for the UNICEF and was married to Henry R. Labouisse. He accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of UNICEF in 1965.

Read more about Marie and Pierre Curie and the discovery of polonium and radium.

More “Nobel Prize families”, where at least one member was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry:
Hans von Euler-Chelpin
(father), Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry 1929.
Ulf von Euler (son), Nobel Prize laureate in physiology or medicine 1970.

Arthur Kornberg (father), Nobel Prize laureate in physiology or medicine 1959.
Roger D. Kornberg (son), Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry 2006.


Forced to decline the Nobel Prize

Two Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry have been forced by authorities to decline the Nobel Prize. Adolf Hitler forbade three German Nobel Prize laureates from receiving the Nobel Prize – two of whom were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Richard Kuhn in 1938 and Adolf Butenandt in 1939. The third person, Gerhard Domagk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1939. All of them could receive the Nobel Prize diploma and medal later, but not the prize amount.


Nobel Prize laureate partnerships in biomedical science

Many long scientific partnerships have resulted in Nobel Prizes:

Partners Years of
Partnership
Dates
Michael S. Brown & Joseph L. Goldstein 40 1972-present
Carl Cori & Gerty Cori 34 1922-56
William H. Stein & Stanford Moore 33 1939-72
André F. Cournand & Dickinson W. Richards 30 1932-62
George H. Hitchings & Gertrude B. Elion 23 1944-67
David H. Hubel & Torsten N. Wiesel 20 1958-78
J. Michael Bishop & Harold E. Varmus 19 1971-90
Philip S. Hench & Edward C. Kendall 16 1934-50
Edmond H. Fischer & Edwin G. Krebs 11 1953-64
François Jacob & Jacques Monod 9 1957-66
James Watson & Francis Crick 2 1951-53

List compiled in 2012, courtesy of Joseph L. Goldstein.

 


The Nobel Prize medal in chemistry

The Nobel Prize medal in chemistry was designed by Swedish sculptor and engraver Erik Lindberg and represents Nature in the form of a goddess resembling Isis, emerging from the clouds and holding in her arms a cornucopia. The veil which covers her cold and austere face is held up by the Genius of Science.

More about the Nobel Prize medal in chemistry


The Nobel Prize diplomas

Each Nobel Prize diploma is a unique work of art, created by foremost Swedish and Norwegian artists and calligraphers.

More about the Nobel Prize diplomas


The Nobel Prize amount

Alfred Nobel left most of his estate, more than SEK 31 million (today approximately SEK 1,702 million) to be converted into a fund and invested in “safe securities.” The income from the investments was to be “distributed annually in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”

The Nobel Prize amount for 2023 is set at Swedish kronor (SEK) 11.0 million per full Nobel Prize.

More about the Nobel Prize amount


* Why are the individuals and organisations awarded a Nobel Prize called Nobel Prize 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 Greece, laurel wreaths were awarded to victors as a sign of honour – both in athletic competitions and in poetic meets.


Links to more facts on the Nobel Prizes:
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physics
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Facts on the Nobel Prize in Literature
Facts on the Nobel Peace Prize
Facts on the Prize in Economic Sciences
Facts on all Nobel Prizes

 

First published 5 October 2009.

To cite this section
MLA style: Facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Tue. 19 Mar 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/facts/facts-on-the-nobel-prize-in-chemistry>