List of All Canadian Nobel Prize Winners Ever
If you are looking for study material about Nobel winners by country or people from Canada who won Nobel between 1901 to 2018 then follow this article. This article deals about those 23 Nobel laureates who acquired this prize in six category and rank among 923 individuals and organizations who have been awarded Nobel Prize and Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences. Being a North American country Canada showed the world their talents by contributing in six different Nobel category- physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, peace, literature and economics. Canada made history when Frederick G. Banting prouded own country by receiving Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923. That was the journey, after that twenty two Canadian Nobel laureates made own country famous by receiving Nobel till 2018. Many of them brought international honors for country but Nobel Prize is the most important and prestigious award among them. Either its Frederick’s discovery of insulin or Arthur’s discovery of nutreno oscillations, Canada is proud of such winners on international stage.
All these Canadian individual Nobel winners are some of citizen by birth or by migration. The Canadians grabbed this six categorised prize from the one and only Nobel Prize issuing body – Nobel Foundation, administered by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Canada ranks among top eight Nobel Prize winning countries led by United States(371 winners), United Kingdom(128 winners), Germany(107 winners),France(68 winners), Sweden(31 winners), Switzerland(26 winners), and Japan(26 winners).
Canadian Nobel Winners Quick Statistics
Four Canadians have won Nobel Prize in Physics. Maximum number of Nobel Prize winners are in Chemistry which is seven. Only two Canadians prouded own country by winning Nobel Prize in literature. Five Canadian received Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine. Three won Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences. Among 23 Canadians, one individual and an organisation won Nobel Peace Prize.
The first Canadian won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923. The first Canadian won Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. The first Canadian won Nobel Prize in economic science in 1996. The first Canadian won Nobel Prize in physics in 1990. The first Canadian ever to win a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1949. The first Canadian to win a Nobel Prize in literature in 1976.
What is Nobel Prize
According to the final Will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel the prizes were established in 1895. At first the prizes in physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine and literature were awarded in 1901. Later in 1969 the Sveriges Riksbank first introduced the Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences which was given to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen.
Nobel Peace Prize is provided by Norwegian Nobel Committee. Except peace and economics all the prizes are awarded by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm headed by Nobel Foundation. A Nobel Prize winner is called by Laureate. Each Nobel laureates receives a gold medal, a diploma and a sum of 9 million sek which are provided on a annual ceremony held in Stockholm, Sweden.
All Canadian Nobel
So let’s check out all people from Canada who received Nobel Prize ever from 1901 to 2018
Canadian Nobel Prize Winners in Physics 1901-2018
1. Arthur B. McDonald
The winner of 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics is Canadian astrophysicist Arthur Bruce McDonald. McDonald is the most recent winner jointly received the prize with another Japanese physicist Takaaki Kajita. McDonald completed his higher studies and researches from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and California Institute of Technology. Arthur McDonal was awarded with 2016 Fundamental Physics Prize for discovery of neutrino oscillations, 2007 Benjamin Franklin Medal etc.
2. Willard Boyle
The well known Canadian physicist Willard Sterling Boyle was honoured with 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of imaging cemiconductor circuit the charge-coupled-device. Boyle spent his life with McGill University , Royal Military College of Canada.
3. Bertram Brockhouse
Alberta born Bertram Brockhouse is the only Canadian physicist who won 1994 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with another American physicist Clifford Shull for neutron scattering techniques. Bertram is the winner of Henry Marshall Tory Medal and Duddell Medal Prize.
4. Richard E. Taylor
Richard E. Taylor is the first Canadian to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics. Nobel Foundation awarded this prize in 1990 for his contribution to deep enelastic scattering of electrons on protons and bound neutrons essential for particle physics. Born in Alberta Taylor completed his degrees in University of Alberta and Stanford University, USA. Rechard E.Taylor is the 140th among those 207 Nobel Laureates awarded between 1901-2017. Taylor won Nobel eighty nine years after the inaugural laureate German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen received in 1901.
Canadian Nobel Prize Winners in Chemistry 1901-2018
5. William Giauque
William Giauque is the first Canadian to receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Giauque became popular after Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences awarding him Nobel Prize in 1949 for his absolute zero temperature and matter related research. Born in Ontario, Canada in 1895, Giauque shifted later in USA and spent his most educational scholarships, degrees, research at University of California, Berkeley, USA.
6. Gerherd Herzberg
Gerhard Herzberg was honoured with Nobel in 1971 for his contributions to the knowledge of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals. Herzberg’s main work associated with atomic and molecular spectroscopy. Herzberg born in Germany but spent maximum time of his life in Canada. After getting Canadian citizenship he became Chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario from 1973 to 1980. Gerherd was also awarded Henry Marshall Tory Award in 1953.
7. Henry Taube
Henry Taube is a Canadian born American chemist awarded Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1983 for his work in the mechanisms of electron-transfer reactions, especially in metal complexes. Taube completed his Masters degree at University of Saskatchewan and Ph.D from University of California, Berkeley. Along with Nobel he was honoured with National Medal of Science 1976, Priestley Medal 1985.
8. John Polanyi
John Polanyi got Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1986 for his research in chemical kinetics. Polanyi is a Hungarian-Canadian chemist who educated at Manchester University. Polanyi was elected Fellow of the Royal Society(FRS) in 1971, awarded Royal Society of Canada in 1977, honoured with Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Prize in 1988.
9. Sydney Altman
Sydney Altman is a Canadian-American molecular-biologist awarded Nobel for Chemistry in 1989 along with another American chemist namely Thomas R. Cech.
10. Rudolf A. Marcus
Rudolf A. Marcus got Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1992 for his contributions to the theory of electron transfer reactions in chemical systems. Mercus-theory is named after him.
11. Michael Smith – 1993
Michael Smith won Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for his work in developing site-directed mutagenesis. Smith is a British-born Canadian biochemist and a businessman. He completed Ph. D and B. Sc in University of Manchester.
Canadian Nobel Prize Winners in Literature 1901-2018
12. Saul Bellow
Saul Bellow a Canadian-American writer became a Nobel laureate in Literature in 1976. He is the only writer to win US National Book Award for Fiction three times. He was also honoured with Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1976, National Medal of Arts 1988 etc. His notable novels are The Victim, Seize the Day, Herzog(1964), Humboldt’s Gift(1975), A Theft(1989) etc.
13. Alice Munro
The notable short story writer Alice Munro won Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Munro is the 110th among those 114 laureates who were awarded Nobel Prize between 1901 to 2017. Munro is the first woman-Canadian to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. Her work is known as ‘master of contemporary short story’. Along with Nobel, Munro was awarded with ‘Man Booker International Prize’ in 2009, Giller Prize in 1998 and 2004 and ‘Governor General’s Award’ in 1968,1978 and 1986. Some of her award winning original books are Dance of the Happy Shades, Lives of Girls and Women, The Progress of Love, Friend of My Youth, The Love of a Good Woman etc.
Canadian Nobel Prize Winners in Physiology or Medicine 1901-2018
14. Charles B. Huggins – 1966
Charles B. Huggins became a Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine in 1966 for discovering that hormones can be used to control of spread of some cancers. Huggins is the pioneer to produce medicines to control cancer.
15. Frederick G. Banting –
Ontario, Canada born medical scientist Frederick G. Banting received Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovery of insulin. Banting’s insulin discovery made a revolution in science. For this extreme contribution Banting was honoured by Nobel Foundation of Stockholm in 1923. As a first Canadian ever Banting received Nobel Prize in Medicine along with a Scottish scientist John James Rickard Macleod. He has a deep relationship with University of Toronto regarding his medical practice. Banting recorded as a youngest winner in Medicine or Physiology area by winning Nobel at the age of 32.
16. David H. Hubel
David Hunter Hubel was a Canadian neurophysiologist awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1981 for discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system. He was associated with McGill University.
17. Jack W. Szostak
Jack William Szostak was awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology or Meducine in 2009 for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by tolomeres.
18. Ralph N. Steinman – 2011
Chronologically Ralph N. Steinman is the 21st Canadian to receive Nobel prize. Steinman was a physician and medical researcher at Rockefeller University. He got Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2011. He was associated with McGill University and Harvard University.
Canadian Nobel Prize Winners in Economics 1901-2018
19. William Vickrey – 1996
William Spencer Vickrey the professor of economics won 1996 Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences. The Sveriges Riksbank awarded Nobel for his research into economic theory of incentives under asymmetric information. Vickrey received this prize along with Scottish economist James Mirrlees same year. From Ragnar Frisch to Richard Thaler a total number of 79 laureates have been awarded Nobel in Economics till 2017 and William Vickrey is the 40th person among them. In Nobel history William Vickrey is the first Canadian ever to win a Nobel Prize in Economics. Born in Victoria, Canada Vickrey completed his higher studies from Columbia University.
20. Robert Mundell
Chronologically Robert Mundell is the 18th Canadian Nobel prize winner. Mundell was awarded Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1999 for his pioneering work in monetary dynamics and optimum currency areas. Mundell is known as “father” of the Euro for his help in movement known as ‘supply-side economics. He is also known by Mundell-Fleming model. Mundell was associated with University of Waterloo, McGill University, Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University etc.
21. Myron Scholes – 1997
Canadian Nobel Prize Winners in Peace 1901-2018
22. Lester B. Pearson
Nobel history says Lester Bowles Pearson is the one and only individual from Canada who won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1957 the Swedish Nobel Foundation honoured Pearson with Nobel Prize for his excellent job in resolving Suez Canal Crisis by organising United Nations Emergency Force. Pearson is the 54th among those 104 individuals and 27 organisations awarded Nobel Prize between 1901-2017. Lester B. Pearson served as 14th Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968 representing Liberal party. From 1948 to 1957, he served as Canadian Foreign Minister. He was a diplomat, soldier and played a important roll in Canadian politics and completed education from Toronto University and Oxford University. He also served as 8th President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1952. Pearson received Nobel Prize 56 years after the inaugural 1901’s Red Cross founder Swiss Henry Dunant.
23. Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
After fifty years of Nuclear attack on Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagashaki, the Pugwash Conference and Joseph Rotblat jointly received the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize for their contributions in disarmament of nuclear weapons in international politics. Earl(Bertrand)Russel, the 1950 Nobel winner in literature, was the founder of Pugwash movment and the initial head of this organization.