10 Nobel Laureates Who Changed the World

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By Sara Roncero-Menendez2013-10-14 14:45:07 UTC

Winning a Nobel Prize is a prestigious honor only a few hundred people have received. Created in 1901 by dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, the awards were meant to highlight the good being done in the world in the scientific, political and activist communities.

In the decades that followed, the Nobel Prize became a symbol of progress, achievement and improvement, showcasing the greatest advancements to aid human kind.

See also: Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Higgs Boson Scientists

This year is the 112th anniversary of the awards, and so far, François Englert and Peter W. Higgs won for their research on how particles obtain mass, Alice Munro won for her mastery of the short story, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon (OPCW) won the Peace Prize for its efforts to eliminate chemical weaponry.

While every recipient is deserving of his or her award, there are winners who have made especially important contributions to society and the intellectual community. Here's a look at 10 Nobel Prize awardees who have made the biggest impacts on our everyday lives.

Know of other laureates who greatly changed the world as we know it? Leave your favorites in the comments below.

Hompage image: Wikimedia Commons

Topics: gallery, nobel laureate, nobel prize, Social Good, U.S., US & World, World