Marie Curie (born Maria Sklodowskawas) was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. She was the youngest of 5 children. She received a general education in local schools and some scientific training from her father who was a high school maths and physics teacher.Marie Curie was an exceptional student with an amazing memory. She often went without food and sleep to study. Her brilliant mind led her to Paris, where after working as a governess, she studied at the Sorbonne.
Struggling to learn in French, Marie threw herself into her studies, leading an ascetic life, dedicating all her time to her studies. She went on to get a degree in Physics. She later got a degree in Math.
She met Pierre Curie in Paris. He was head of the laboratory of Physics and Chemistry at the Sorbonne. He was a renowned Chemist. He considered Marie to be a genius and instantly wanted to work with her. A year later, they were married. The two would eventually become inseparable.
Pierre and Marie Curie spent most of their time together in their laboratory studying radioactive materials. Their research led to the discovery of radium, for which they were honoured with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.
In 1905, Pierre was killed in a road accident, leaving Marie to look after the laboratory and their two children.
In 1911 she was awarded a second nobel prize in Chemistry for the discovery of actinium and further studies on radium and polonium.
The onset of World War I in 1914 led Marie Curie to dedicate her time to the installation of X ray machines in hospitals. Marie understood that x ray machines could be very useful in the context of the war. By the end of the First World War, over one million soldiers had been examined by her X ray units.
After the war, her daughter Irene joined Marie Curie as an assistant at the laboratory. Curie Foundation was established in 1920 to work on medical applications for radium.
Marie Curie died in Haute Savoie on July 4, 1934. Her final illness was diagnosed as pernicious anemia, probably caused by overexposure to radiation.
Marie Curie pushed back many frontiers in science and, at the same time set a new bar for female academic and scientific achievement. She is a true example of success. Being the one of the only women in a male dominated science world, she stood strong, working hard and following her passion, despite all the hostility, criticism and malicious rumours that flew around. She was a pioneer for all women who in later years chose male dominated careers.
"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."
"All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child."
Marie Curie
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