Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and a very skillful business man, was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. Nobel's fathers name was Immanuel and was also a great engineer and inventor who built many bridges and buildings in Stockholm. After bankruptcy, Immanuel left his family in Stockholm in 1837 to start up a new business in Russia. His family soon joined him in there.
During his time in Russia, Immanuel had become fascinated with the explosive qualities of nitroglycerin. He realized that if nitroglycerin could be controlled, it would be extremely useful as a weapon and for mining and industry.
As a child Alfred was very sick. He suffered with a spinal defect. Often, he was too sick to attend school and was taught by tutors much of the time. He showed a natural gift for languages, acquiring them as he traveled. Despite his sickness, Alfred was a very good student who became interested in chemistry early on. Between the ages of seventeen to nineteen, he traveled to Germany, the U.S and France. His father sent him on to further education in the United States between the years 1850-1852. Eventually Immanuel had to leave Russia and head back to Stockholm because of more financial problems.
In Stockholm, the Nobel family began experimenting with nitroglycerin. There were many accidental explosions in the laboratory in Stockholm, including a large one that killed Emil, Alfred's brother and several other people inside the factory. This tragedy did not stop Alfred from his experiments. He was determined to achieve his goal, and nothing would get in his way.
He knew he would have to resolve safety problems before continuing with his research. He also needed to find a way to easily transport it and detonate the explosives. Soon Alfred discovered that if he mixed nitroglycerin with silica, it would turn the explosive into a paste which could be formed, shaped, and easily transported. He patented his discovery and called it "dynamite.
