The Nobel Prize is an annual, international prize first awarded in 1901 for achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace, with an associated prize in Economics awarded since 1969.[1] As of November 2022, Nobel Prizes had been awarded to 954 individuals,[2] of whom 17 were Latin American recipients (1.7% of the 954 individual recipients).

Latin Americans have received awards in four of the six award categories: six in Literature (35.3% of the Latin recipients), six in Peace (35.3%), three in Physiology or Medicine (17.6%), and two in Chemistry (11.8%). The first Latin American recipient, Carlos Saavedra Lamas, was awarded the Peace Prize in 1936. The most recent, Juan Manuel Santos, was awarded the Peace Prize in 2016.

Among the Latin American laureates, two served as heads of state or government of their respective countries upon receiving the Nobel Prize. Those include Óscar Arias Sánchez of Costa Rica and Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, who were presidents; both of them were awarded the Peace Prize.

Chemistry

Two Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Year Image Laureate Country Comment
1970
Luis F. Leloir  Argentina [3] First Hispanic to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
1995
Mario J. Molina  Mexico

Physiology or Medicine

Three Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Year Image Laureate Country Comment
1947
Bernardo Alberto Houssay  Argentina First Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1980
Baruj Benacerraf  Venezuela
 United States
1984
César Milstein  Argentina
 United Kingdom

Literature

Six Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Year Image Laureate Country Comment
1945
Gabriela Mistral  Chile First Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in literature
1967
Miguel Ángel Asturias  Guatemala
1971
Pablo Neruda  Chile
1982
Gabriel García Márquez  Colombia
1990
Octavio Paz  Mexico
2010
Mario Vargas Llosa  Peru

Peace

Six Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Peace Prize.

Year Image Laureate Country Comment
1936
Carlos Saavedra Lamas  Argentina First Latin American to win a Nobel Prize, first Hispanic to win a Nobel Peace Prize
1980
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel  Argentina [4]
1982
Alfonso García Robles  Mexico
1987
Óscar Arias Sánchez  Costa Rica
1992
Rigoberta Menchú  Guatemala
2016
Juan Manuel Santos  Colombia

See also

References

  1. ^ "Nobel Prize" (2007), in Encyclopædia Britannica, accessed 14 November 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online:

    An additional award, the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, was established in 1968 by the Bank of Sweden and was first awarded in 1969

  2. ^ "All Nobel Laureates". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  3. ^ "Biography of Luis Leloir". Nobelprize.org. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Adofo Pérez Esquivel". Nobel Prize Committee.