Marie Curie

Marieand her daughter

Through much of her career, Marie Curie focused on exploring the unseen realms of radiation and the fundamental properties of elements. Her work symbolized a quest for knowledge that transcended boundaries, illuminating the mysteries of science while confronting societal norms and challenges.

EARLY LIFE

marie curie child.

Maria skłodowska demonstrated early proficiency in mathematics and science, fueled by a deep curiosity and unwavering determination from her youth.

STUDIES & MARRIAGE

Pierre et Marie Curie en 1895

She began her formal study of physics and mathematics in 1891, and and in 1891 she married pierre curie, a physicist and fellow researcher at the sorbonne in paris.

WAR YEARS

Marie Curie et sa fille Irène à l’Institut du radium, en 1921

During World War I, Marie Curie organized "Petites Curies," mobile X-ray units near front lines, aiding wounded soldiers. Her efforts saved countless lives, solidifying her as a pioneering scientist and humanitarian.

"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful."

Marie Curie

🎂 1867 - Born on November 7th, in Warsaw, Russian Empire (now Poland); named Maria Sklodowska. She later changed her first name to 'Marie' when she moved to Paris, France.

🚂 1891 - Moves to Paris to study physics, chemistry and mathematics course at the Sorbonne after getting scientific training in a chemistry laboratory within the Museum of Industry and Agriculture, Warsaw in 1890.

🎓 1893 - Becomes the first woman to earn a physics degree from the Sorbonne and started working in an industrial laboratory of Professor Gabriel Lippmann.

📜 1894 - Earned a second degree from the University of Paris and began her scientific career studying the magnetic properties of steel. Met Pierre Curie whilst searching for a larger laboratory space and get maried at 1895.

🔬 1898 - Announces along with Pierre the discovery of radium and polonium, pioneering the field of radioactivity. Radium, particularly, revolutionized cancer treatment and radiology. Their joint efforts defined a new era in scientific understanding and medical applications of radiation.

👩‍🏫 1900 - Curie became the first woman faculty member at the École Normale Supérieure.

🏅 1903 - Shares the Nobel Prize in physics with Pierre Curie and Anotine Henri Bequere from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded for their research on radioactivity.

Marie also earned her doctorate from the University of Paris during this period, solidifying her status as a leading scientist of her time.

🕊️ 1906 - Pierre Curie dies in a tragic accident; Marie takes over his chair at the University of Paris, determined to create a world-class laboratory in honor of Pierre.

🏛️ 1909 - the University of Paris and Institut Pasteur jointly founded the Institut du Radium (now Institut Curie), facilitating Marie Curie's research on radioactivity's physics and chemistry, alongside Pasteur's investigations into its medical applications.

🌟 1910 - Marie Curie successfully isolated radium as a pure metal, confirming its existence as the heaviest alkaline earth metal and the sole radioactive member of its group. Radium-226, the most stable isotope, has a half-life of 1600 years and decays into radon gas, making radioactive compounds crucial in scientific experiments and medical treatments for tumors.

🏆 1911 - Curie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry as recognition to of her services to the advancement of chemistry.

🏥 1914 - the French government supported the opening of the Radium Institute in Paris. During World War I, Marie Curie developed mobile X-ray units known as "Little Curies," treating over 1 million wounded soldiers. She pioneered radon gas for tissue sterilization and served as director of the Red Cross Radiology Service, significantly advancing medical care on the battlefield.

🏫 1922 - Became a fellow of the French Academy of Medicine.

🏥 1932 - Marie opened another Institut du Radium in Warsaw, Poland.

🥀🪦⚰️ 1934 - On July the 4th she died in Paris, France of aplastic anemia, a blood disease that often results from exposure to high amounts of radiation.

curie
Pierre and Marie Curie

Rising together

Marie Curie and her husband, Pierre came together through a shared love of science and research. They spent their marriage working side by side, sharing ground-breaking scientific discoveries and a Nobel Prize.

Acheiving together

In 1903, the couple won the Noble Prize for physics , along with Henri Becquerel , for their joint research on radiation. At first, Marie was not included in the nomination.But when Pierre found out he complained and Marie’s name was added, making her the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize.

Marie’s tribute to Pierre

On 19 April 1906, Pierre was killed tragedy. Marie was devastated but determined to honour him in any way she could.
On 13 May, she succeeded him in his Chair as a Professor at the Sorbonne , created a world-class laboratory as a tribute to her late husband and became the first woman professor at the university.

Pierre and Marie Curie at work
marie and her husband marie and pierre curie honeymoon

"We can be like Marie Curie and her husband Pierre, who spent their days working side by side bathed in the glow of their love and the radium that ultimately killed her. Screw Beauty and the Beast, that's the love story Disney should tell."

Amy Farrah Fowler - The Big Bang Theory - The Vacation Solution