As World War I left hundreds of thousands of refugees without identification and travel papers, and thus unable to travel across borders, Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian had created the “Nansen passport” for stateless persons. His travel document was eventually recognized by 50 countries, and helped resettle thousands of Russian, Armenian, Assyrian, and Turkish stateless persons, refugees, and prisoners of war. In 1922, Nansen was awarded a Nobel Prize for his humanitarian and relief efforts.