Henri Kagan wins Nobel Prize at 95: Who are the oldest Nobel laureates in history?

Henri Kagan won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry at 95, becoming one of the oldest Nobel laureates in history.

French scientist Henri Kagan has become one of the oldest people to win a Nobel Prize after receiving the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry at the age of 95. He shared the honour with Japanese chemist Kenso Soai, 76, for their groundbreaking research into asymmetric molecules.

French chemist Henri Kagan joined the list of oldest Nobel winners after receiving the 2026 Chemistry Prize at 95.

The duo were announced as winners on Wednesday, October 7, for solving a long-standing mystery involving molecules that exist as mirror images of each other. Their discoveries have significant implications for pharmaceutical manufacturing, particularly in developing safer and more effective medicines.

Their work builds on research by 19th-century French chemist Louis Pasteur.

Kagan's achievement places him among the three oldest Nobel laureates in history. Here is a look at some other scientists and researchers who received the prestigious honour in their later years.

John B. Goodenough – 97 years old (2019)

American scientist John B. Goodenough holds the record as the oldest Nobel laureate. He received the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry at 97 for his contributions to developing lithium-ion batteries. His work helped revolutionise portable electronics, including smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles.

Arthur Ashkin – 96 years old (2018)

American physicist Arthur Ashkin won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics at 96. He was recognised for inventing optical tweezers, which use laser beams to trap and manipulate microscopic particles, including living cells, without damaging them.

Henri Kagan – 95 years old (2026)

French chemist Henri Kagan received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Kenso Soai. Their research demonstrated how chemical reactions can favour one mirror-image form of a molecule, a breakthrough with important applications in drug manufacturing. Kagan had previously missed out on the 2001 Nobel Prize in a related field.

John J. Hopfield – 91 years old (2024)

American physicist John Hopfield shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics with Geoffrey Hinton. His pioneering research on artificial neural networks laid important foundations for modern machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Leonid Hurwicz – 90 years old (2007)

Polish-born American economist Leonid Hurwicz received the 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He was honoured for developing mechanism design theory, which examines how economic systems can be structured to achieve desired outcomes.

Syukuro Manabe – 90 years old (2021)

Japanese-born American climatologist Syukuro Manabe won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics. His research demonstrated how increasing carbon dioxide levels contribute to global warming and helped establish the foundations of modern climate modelling.