# Canonical recap data for Nobel Prize in Physics Established (1901)
# Source: https://recap.at/1901/nobel-prize-physics-1901
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: nobel-prize-physics-1901
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1901/nobel-prize-physics-1901"
title: Nobel Prize in Physics Established
aliases:
- Nobel Prize in Physics
- Physics Nobel
- Swedish Academy Physics Prize
subtitle: Nobel Prize in Physics Established
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1901-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1901
decade: 1900
country:
name: Sweden
slug: sweden
summaryShort: The Nobel Prize in Physics is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901, the others being the Nobe
summaryLong: The Nobel Prize in Physics is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901, the others being the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
lede: Alfred Nobel's will, signed in 1895, established five annual prizes to honor outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The first Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 1901 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, creating what would become one of the world's most prestigious scientific honors.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ed/Nobel_Prize.png/330px-Nobel_Prize.png"
heroImageCredit: "\"Merrion Square - Erwin Schrodinger Worked Here\" by infomatique is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/."
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Prize fund source
  value: Alfred Nobel's estate (approximately 31 million Swedish kronor at the time)
- label: Year of first award
  value: "1901"
- label: Awarding institution
  value: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- label: First laureate
  value: Wilhelm Röntgen (X-ray discovery)
- label: Will signed
  value: November 27, 1895
- label: Total Nobel Prizes established
  value: 5 (Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace)
timeline:
- date: 1895-11-27
  title: Alfred Nobel signs his will
  description: Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel signs the will that directs the bulk of his wealth toward establishing annual prizes for outstanding achievements in five fields.
- date: 1896-12-10
  title: Alfred Nobel dies
  description: Alfred Nobel dies in San Remo, Italy at age 63. His will remains unpublished; his family and executors must navigate disputes over its interpretation.
- date: 1901-01-01
  title: Nobel Prize institution formally established
  description: The Nobel Foundation is formally created to manage the prizes and administer Nobel's estate according to the terms of his will.
- date: 1901-12-10
  title: First Nobel Prizes awarded
  description: The first Nobel Prizes across all five categories are awarded in Stockholm and Oslo. Wilhelm Röntgen receives the Physics prize for his discovery of X-rays in 1895.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics"
  title: Nobel Prize in Physics
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The establishment of the Nobel Prize in Physics created a global benchmark for scientific excellence that persists today. By attaching Nobel's industrial fortune to fundamental research, the prize transformed how the scientific community recognized breakthroughs and shaped which discoveries received sustained attention and resources.
categories:
- award
taxonomy:
domain: scientific
eventTypes:
- nobel_prize
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- celebration
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: Nobel Prize in Physics established in 1901 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, honoring outstanding contributions to physics.
wikidataQid: Q38104
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Prize money (SEK)
  thenValue: 150,000
  thenYear: 1901
  nowValue: 11,000,000
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Adjusted for inflation and economic growth; 1901 amount equivalent to roughly 3.5 million SEK in 2024 kronor
- metric: Number of laureates per year
  thenValue: "1"
  thenYear: 1901
  nowValue: "3"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Wilhelm Röntgen was sole recipient in 1901; prizes now typically shared among three scientists
- metric: Female laureates (cumulative)
  thenValue: "0"
  thenYear: 1901
  nowValue: "5"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Maria Goeppert Mayer in 1963 was first woman; Donna Strickland won in 2018
- metric: Years between Nobel's will and first award
  thenValue: "6"
  thenYear: 1895
  nowValue: "123"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Alfred Nobel died December 10, 1896; first prize awarded December 10, 1901
consequences:
- title: Recognition shifts physics from theoretical to experimental validation
  year: 1901
  description: Wilhelm Röntgen's 1895 X-ray discovery wins the inaugural award, establishing the prize's focus on tangible, measurable breakthroughs rather than abstract theory
- title: Accelerates international scientific prestige economy
  year: 1921
  description: Albert Einstein wins for the photoelectric effect (not relativity), cementing the Nobel as the primary international validator of scientific achievement; applications for positions and funding now reference Nobel recognition
- title: Creates institutional incentive structures in physics
  year: 1950
  description: By mid-century, universities and research institutes begin organizing resources around Nobel-eligible research; national governments treat winners as diplomatic assets
- title: Expands scope to include foundational theoretical work
  year: 1965
  description: Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger, and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga awarded for quantum electrodynamics, expanding beyond experimental discovery to abstract theoretical frameworks
- title: Prize becomes vehicle for addressing scientific diversity
  year: 2020
  description: Nobel Committee begins more deliberate recognition of women; Andrea Ghez becomes fourth female physics laureate, intensifying conversations about gender gaps in recognition
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms:
- title: Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station
  year: 1896
  note: The Lumière brothers' film; cinema itself was nascent-the 1901 prize recognized experimental physics that enabled motion pictures
- title: A Trip to the Moon
  year: 1902
  note: Georges Méliès; released one year after the physics prize, embodied public fascination with scientific possibility
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: 1901 Stockholm existed in the afterglow of the Industrial Revolution and early electrical transformation. Röntgen's X-rays symbolized the era's conviction that science could penetrate invisible worlds. The prize itself reflected Scandinavian institutional confidence and Sweden's emerging role as a neutral intellectual arbiter-no Nobel in Physics would exist without Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel's 1895 fortune from dynamite patents.
relatedQueries:
- Nobel Prize Physics first winner Wilhelm Röntgen
- Alfred Nobel will 1895 five prizes
- Royal Swedish Academy Sciences Nobel Committee
- Nobel Prize Physics women laureates history
- Nobel Prize Physics prize money amount
- X-ray discovery 1895 Röntgen
- Nobel Prize Physics criteria selection
- Swedish Nobel Prize history establishment
gallery:
- url: "https://live.staticflickr.com/5143/5562518664_a1588bc43b_b.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://live.staticflickr.com/5143/5562518664_a1588bc43b_b.jpg"
  caption: (Previous hero, demoted by topical-relevance swap)
  credit: ""
  width: 0
  height: 0
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Marie_and_Pierre_Curie%27s_Nobel_Prize_in_Physics_1903.jpg/1280px-Marie_and_Pierre_Curie%27s_Nobel_Prize_in_Physics_1903.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Marie_and_Pierre_Curie%27s_Nobel_Prize_in_Physics_1903.jpg/800px-Marie_and_Pierre_Curie%27s_Nobel_Prize_in_Physics_1903.jpg"
  caption: Marie and Pierre Curie's Nobel Prize in Physics 1903
  credit: Dannybalanta2011-04-16
  width: 1013
  height: 652
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Albert_Einstein_%28Nobel%29.jpg/1280px-Albert_Einstein_%28Nobel%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Albert_Einstein_%28Nobel%29.jpg/800px-Albert_Einstein_%28Nobel%29.jpg"
  caption: Albert Einstein (Nobel)
  credit: Nobel foundation / A.B. Lagrelius &amp; Westphal
  width: 280
  height: 396
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Nobel_laureates_at_Indian_Institute_of_Science_-_DPLA_-_a8819dccb6fc46cf76f6f6e3687055dc.jpg/1280px-Nobel_laureates_at_Indian_Institute_of_Science_-_DPLA_-_a8819dccb6fc46cf76f6f6e3687055dc.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Nobel_laureates_at_Indian_Institute_of_Science_-_DPLA_-_a8819dccb6fc46cf76f6f6e3687055dc.jpg/800px-Nobel_laureates_at_Indian_Institute_of_Science_-_DPLA_-_a8819dccb6fc46cf76f6f6e3687055dc.jpg"
  caption: Nobel laureates at Indian Institute of Science - DPLA - a8819dccb6fc46cf76f6f6e3687055dc
  credit: Eswaran, V.R.P
  width: 5086
  height: 4071
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260524003447/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-24
  label: Nobel Prize in Physics
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics"
translations:
es:
lede: El testamento de Alfred Nobel, firmado en 1895, estableció cinco premios anuales para honrar los logros destacados en física, química, medicina, literatura y paz. El primer Premio Nobel de Física fue otorgado en 1901 por la Real Academia Sueca de Ciencias, creando lo que se convertiría en uno de los honores científicos más prestigiosos del mundo.
summaryShort: El Premio Nobel de Física es un premio anual otorgado por la Real Academia Sueca de Ciencias a quienes han hecho las contribuciones más destacadas a la humanidad en el campo de la física. Es uno de los cinco Premios Nobel establecidos por el testamento de Alfred Nobel en 1895 y otorgados desde 1901, siendo los otros el Nobe
summaryLong: El Premio Nobel de Física es un premio anual otorgado por la Real Academia Sueca de Ciencias a quienes han hecho las contribuciones más destacadas a la humanidad en el campo de la física. Es uno de los cinco Premios Nobel establecidos por el testamento de Alfred Nobel en 1895 y otorgados desde 1901, siendo los otros el Premio Nobel de Química, Premio Nobel de Literatura, Premio Nobel de la Paz y Premio Nobel de Fisiología o Medicina.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T19:42:47.105Z"
fr:
lede: Le testament d'Alfred Nobel, signé en 1895, a établi cinq prix annuels pour honorer les réalisations exceptionnelles en physique, chimie, médecine, littérature et paix. Le premier prix Nobel de physique a été décerné en 1901 par l'Académie royale suédoise des sciences, créant ce qui deviendrait l'un des honneurs scientifiques les plus prestigieux au monde.
summaryShort: Le prix Nobel de physique est un prix annuel décerné par l'Académie royale suédoise des sciences à ceux qui ont apporté les contributions les plus exceptionnelles à l'humanité dans le domaine de la physique. C'est l'un des cinq prix Nobel établis par le testament d'Alfred Nobel en 1895 et décernés depuis 1901, les autres étant le
summaryLong: Le prix Nobel de physique est un prix annuel décerné par l'Académie royale suédoise des sciences à ceux qui ont apporté les contributions les plus exceptionnelles à l'humanité dans le domaine de la physique. C'est l'un des cinq prix Nobel établis par le testament d'Alfred Nobel en 1895 et décernés depuis 1901, les autres étant le prix Nobel de chimie, le prix Nobel de littérature, le prix Nobel de la paix et le prix Nobel de physiologie ou médecine.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T19:42:49.913Z"
de:
lede: Alfred Nobels Testament, das 1895 unterzeichnet wurde, begründete fünf jährliche Preise zur Würdigung herausragender Leistungen in Physik, Chemie, Medizin, Literatur und Frieden. Der erste Nobelpreis für Physik wurde 1901 von der Königlich Schwedischen Akademie der Wissenschaften verliehen und schuf damit eine der weltweit renommiertesten wissenschaftlichen Auszeichnungen.
summaryShort: Der Nobelpreis für Physik ist eine jährliche Auszeichnung der Königlich Schwedischen Akademie der Wissenschaften für diejenigen, die die herausragendsten Beiträge zur Menschheit auf dem Gebiet der Physik geleistet haben. Er ist einer der fünf Nobelpreise, die durch das Testament von Alfred Nobel 1895 gestiftet und seit 1901 verliehen werden.
summaryLong: Der Nobelpreis für Physik ist eine jährliche Auszeichnung der Königlich Schwedischen Akademie der Wissenschaften für diejenigen, die die herausragendsten Beiträge zur Menschheit auf dem Gebiet der Physik geleistet haben. Er ist einer der fünf Nobelpreise, die durch das Testament von Alfred Nobel 1895 gestiftet und seit 1901 verliehen werden, die anderen sind der Nobelpreis für Chemie, Nobelpreis für Literatur, Friedensnobelpreis und Nobelpreis für Physiologie oder Medizin.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T19:42:52.723Z"
