Women Nobel peace prize winners

To benefit humanity - an ironic epitaph for the man who patented dynamite, yet none fits him better. A reclusive and somewhat eccentric millionaire, Alfred Nobel was nevertheless known for his willingness to help others. A recipient of the Letterstedt Prize for his contributions to scientific knowledge, Nobel wanted late in life to endow a similar series of prizes. So he willed his 10 million dollar estate and the interest from all his investments to the establishment of five annual Nobel Prizes, the most prestigious awarded for contributions to a lasting peace. From Bertha von Suttner (1905) to Wangari Maathai (2004), this work provides a detailed look at the lives and accomplishments of 12 female recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, with emphasis on the work that earned them the Nobel. Hailing from various nations and walks of life, the winners include Jane Addams, Mother Teresa, Alva Reimer Myrdal, Jody Williams and Shirin Ebadi. An appendix contains the complete list of Nobel Peace Prize winners from 1901 to 2004.