Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and other explosive substances, died on December 10, 1896. Before his death, he had heard people talk about the obituary of his brother thinking it was actually Alfred that had died, and newspaper headlines were released such as “The merchant of death is dead.” This caused him to question his impact on the world that his explosives had, so he included in his will that a large portion of his estate would go towards annual prizes in the fields of physics, medicine, literature, chemistry, and peace. The will read “one award shall be given to the person who has done the most or best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” There were some disagreements with the establishment of the prizes, which caused the first prizes to be delayed until everyone was convinced to implement them 4 years later on December 10, 1901. For many years, the prizes were dominated by men, which Haimabati Sen would’ve been against. This was right in the middle of Sen’s position at the Lady Dufferin Women’s Hospital. 

Sources:

“The Very First Nobel Prizes.” https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/themes/the-very-first-nobel-prizes/.

“First Nobel Prizes Awarded.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, November 24, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-nobel-prizes-awarded.