Marie Curie

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was a Polish scientist who won a Nobel prize in both Chemistry and Physics. She made ground-breaking work in the field of Radioactivity.
During the First World War, Curie developed the practical use of X-Rays; she also discovered two new elements, polonium and radium. Her pioneering scientific work was made more remarkable because of the discrimination which existed against women in science at the time. She was the first female professor at the University of Paris and broke down many barriers for women in science.
She was born on 7 November 1867, Warsaw Poland. She was the youngest of five children and was brought up in a poor but well-educated family. Marya excelled in her studies and won many prizes.

Marya took an interest in Chemistry and Biology and so she went to Paris, where she was able to study at the Sorbonne. It was in Paris that she met Pierre Curie, who was a scientist too. Pierre was smitten with the young Marya and asked her to marry him.

She was known for her modest and frugal lifestyle. During the First World War, she offered her Nobel Prizes to the French Treasury.

Marie Curie died in 1934 from Cancer. It was an unfortunate side effect of her own ground-breaking studies into radiation which were to help so many people.