from other metals in the evenings and weekends.
Following the death of Pierre in 1906, Marie decided to focus all her energy in their previous work, and it paid off too. In 1911, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for the isolation of pure radium. Throughout World War I, she focused on developing and improving X-Rays, and researched radioactive substances and how they could improve the medical field. She died on July 4th, 1934 due to Leukemia from radiation. Throughout her life, her one passion was slowly killing her.
Marie Curie was one of the most influential people in the history of modern science. If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t even know what radiation is, much less have the ability to cure cancer. But most importantly, she gives thousands of potential scientists today the inspiration and strength to work hard, and to never give up. Because even if your dreams sound unrealistic, just remember that Marie Curie put two new elements on the periodic table, that today is recognized by everyone in the world.
Many old ladies prefer spending
the rest of their years adopting cats, going
on hikes, and having tea and knitting with
other fellow elderly. Marie Curie decided that that life wasn’t for her. Instead of choosing to live out the rest of her life knitting sweaters and playing with cats, she decided to play with the most dangerous element known in the world — Uranium. She was the first person to coin the term “radiation”, the first to win two Nobel Prizes in different subjects, and the first woman to be acknowledged globally.
Born as Marie Sklodowska in Warsaw, Poland in 1867, she didn’t start off with a wealthy family. They didn’t have enough money to send their kids to school, so Marie and her sister made a deal. Bronislawa, her sister, would go to university first, and in return, she would help Marie go to university afterwards. Marie worked as a governess, to help Bronislawa pay for university.
Marie eventually left for Paris, and it was there that she met Pierre Curie. Their marriage
in 1895 marked the start of a partnership
that would achieve results of world
significance. They discovered Polonium
in 1898, and Radium a year later.
They eventually had two
daughters, Irene and Eve, but that
didn’t stop Marie in her work. She
taught physics at a local
university to help pay the bills,
and Pierre and her worked on
trying to separate Radium