Marie Curie

Date of Birth: November 7, 1867

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: July 4, 1934

Biography

Marie Curie, born Maria Skłodowska on November 7, 1867, in Warsaw, Poland, was a pioneering physicist and chemist who conducted groundbreaking research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields—Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911). Marie moved to Paris in 1891 to further her studies at the Sorbonne, where she met her future husband, Pierre Curie. Together, they discovered the elements polonium and radium. Following Pierre’s tragic death in 1906, Marie continued their work, making significant advances in the treatment of cancer through radiotherapy. Throughout her life, Marie faced significant challenges, including financial struggles and health issues resulting from prolonged exposure to radioactive materials. Nonetheless, her contributions to science were monumental, and she became a symbol of perseverance and dedication to scientific inquiry.

5 Interesting Facts about Marie Curie

1. Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win in two different scientific fields.

2. She coined the term “radioactivity” and developed techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes.

3. During World War I, she developed mobile radiography units to provide X-ray services to field hospitals.

4. Marie Curie’s notebooks are still radioactive and are stored in lead-lined boxes.

5. She was the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Marie Curie

1. “Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

2. “Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.”

3. “I am among those who think that science has great beauty.”

4. “We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”

5. “I have no dress except the one I wear every day. If you are going to… give me one, please let it be practical and dark so that I can put it on afterwards to go to the laboratory.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Marie Curie’s net worth was not significant in monetary terms; she dedicated her life to scientific research rather than accumulating wealth. Her contributions to science, however, are invaluable.

Children

Marie Curie had two daughters: 1. Irène Joliot-Curie (1897–1956): A scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935. 2. Ève Curie (1904–2007): A writer and journalist, known for her biography of her mother, “Madame Curie.”