This year's surprise winner, and other laureates past and present

The European Union has been chosen as the surprise recipient of this year's Nobel Prize for Peace. The committee paid tribute to the work of the union, saying the prize had been awarded "for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe", and transforming the continent from one of war into one of peace.

The E.U. joins an illustrious list of individuals and institutions to have been chosen as a Nobel Peace Laureate. Click through our gallery to discovere some notable winners from past years.