(Marie) Curie

Marie Curie (1867-1934)

discovered the beta activity which was used in the Second World War to help injured soldiers. Because of this and some other cognition she won the Nobel price twice, in chemistry and physics; but that is only an extract of the achievements Marie Curie reached in her life.

Marie Curie was born on the 7th of November 1867 in Warsaw as the youngest of five children.  Her parents were teachers and especially the work of Curie's father influenced Marie a lot because he was a mathematics and physics teacher. Already in school, Curie stood out due to her great interest and curiosity. Unfortunately, her mother died from consequences of tuberculosis, when Curie was eleven. After finishing her obligatory school years with excellent accomplishments, it was forbidden for her to study at the men' s university in Warsaw. Instead of this, she began to study secretly at the "floating university" in Warsaw. Because of financial retrenchments, Curie's sister and Curie at herself wanted to study abroad. They decided to support each other. While her sister studied, Marie read a lot about mathematics, physics and chemistry in her free time. 1981 moved Curie and she started her studies in Sorbonne, Paris. Absorbed by her studies and due to lack of money, she neglected her health by nourishing herself only with bread, butter and tea. Two years later, Marie Curie passed first the Master in Physics and then also in Mathematics. In the same year, Marie Curie got funds to work with different types of steel and magnetic prosperity. When Curie was searching for a lab, she got to know the french physicist Pierre Curie.They became not only a dynamic duo in their scientific work, they also fell in love. Nevertheless, Marie and Pierre worked separated on different experiments at the beginning. Marie was fascinated by Henri Becquerel's, also a french physicist, work. He discovered that uranium gives off rays which are lower than the x-rays discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen. Curie focused on these rays and developed Bequerel's experiment where she has sussed out that the rays stay constantly and independently in their form or condition. This revolutionary research had a huge influence on the atom physics and Marie Curie herself invented the term "radioactivity" to describe her recovery. In the year 1897, Marie and Pierre Curie became parents, though their newborn daughter did not stop the experimental research. On the contrary, Pierre joined in Marie's work to help her. With success because they discovered with the help of a pitchblende a new radioactive element which they named "Polonium" after her mother country Poland. Additionally in this way, they discovered another radioactive material which they named "Radium". 1902, the Curies published that they are able to produce ten grams of pure radium and presented its existence as unique.

After all these fundamental discoveries, Marie (as the first woman) and Pierre Curie got awarded with the Nobel prize for their discoveries in physics in the year 1903. They invested the prize money in the progressive research. Marie and Pierre got a second daughter, Pierre died due to an accident in 1906. Therefore, Marie undertook the task of her husband and so became the first female professor in the university of Sorbonne. Five years later, Marie got awarded again with the Nobel prize. This time  in Chemistry honoring her discoveries of "Polonium" and "Radium". Along the way, Marie Curie worked together with some famous scientists: Albert Einstein or Max Planck and together they established the first Solvay Congress in physics to discuss the many revolutionary recoveries in recent times.

In 1911, Marie was blasted by the press after her relationship with her former student Paul Langevin became public. However, during the Second World War, Marie found a way to a revival in popularity with the help of her knowledge and her resources. She committed herself to portable x-ray machines, which were called "Little Curies". With these machines it was easier and faster to help the injured troops. Her newly acquired popularity was helpful for Curie to make progress in her research. After this, she made an excursion to the United States of America to collect money. With this money she bought pure radium and established a radium research institute in Warsaw.

The work with the rays had significant effects on Marie Curies' health. 1934 Marie decided to recover in the Sancemollez sanatorium in Passy, France. Marie died there on the 4th of July in 1934.

Marie Curie, one of the most successful and influential female scientists ever, was priced with a range of honors, awards and even some educational institutions named after her in Paris.

Physics