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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Swedish industrialist and inventor Gustaf Dalén receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics. The story of AGA is very much the story of Gustaf Dalén.
Nils Gustaf Dalén was born on 30 November 1869 in Stenstorp in the county of Skaraborg, Sweden, the son of a farmer. Initially studying at a School of Agriculture, he showed at an early age that he had inventive talent, inventing among other things a milk-fattester in 1892 which made it possible to check the quality of delivered milk. It was this invention that took the then 23 year old Dalén to Stockholm to show another Swedish inventor Gustaf de Laval.
At the encouragement of de Laval, Dalén entered the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg where he earned both a Master’s degree and a Doctorate before graduating in 1896.
In 1909 when the company was renamed Svenska Aktiebolaget Gasaccumulator (AGA) Dalén became Managing Director of the company. He would remain in that position until his death in 1937.
The inventor
Dalén’s inventions were many, but he is perhaps best known however for the invention of the sun valve used in the so-called Dalén Light that turned on lighthouse beacons at dusk and turned them off at dawn.
The spirit of AGA
This year we can look back with pride at the life and accomplishments of the man who is credited as being the founder of the AGA company. His spirit of excellence, inventiveness and innovation live on in the company today.