Marie Curie
- Born:
- November 7, 1867, Warsaw, Poland
- Died:
- July 4, 1934, Passy, Haute-Savoie, France
- Nationality:
- Polish and French
- Profession(s):
- Physicist, Chemist
Early Life and Education
- Born Maria Skłodowska in Warsaw, Poland.
- Faced limited educational opportunities in Russian-controlled Poland.
- Worked as a governess to fund her sister Bronisława's medical studies in Paris, with an agreement that Bronisława would later support her.
- Moved to Paris in 1891 and enrolled at the Sorbonne.
- Studied physics and mathematics at the Sorbonne.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began researching radioactivity after Wilhelm Röntgen's discovery of X-rays and Henri Becquerel's discovery of uranium's radioactivity.
- Conducted research with her husband, Pierre Curie.
- Discovered the elements polonium (named after Poland) and radium.
- Developed techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 (shared with Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel).
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.
- First woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.
- During World War I, developed mobile X-ray units to assist field hospitals.
Notable Works
- Doctoral thesis on radioactivity (1903).
- Recherches sur les substances radioactives (Research on Radioactive Substances)
Legacy and Impact
Marie Curie's pioneering research revolutionized the fields of physics and chemistry. Her discoveries led to advancements in medicine, industry, and scientific understanding. Her work on radioactivity provided the foundation for nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. She remains an inspiration to scientists, particularly women in science, and is often featured in biographies for 9 year olds as an example of perseverance and scientific brilliance.