Marie Curie - Summary

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A Life filled with tragedies: 

Marie Curie was born on November 7, 1867, in Warsaw, Poland. She was called Manya by her parents.  She had to face some tragedies in life. Eldest sister died of typhus when Manya was only eight years old. Her mother died less than three years later. The rulers of Russia ill-treated the people in Poland.

 

Childhood and Education: 

She was different from others because she was famous for her good memory. Her father used to read classics of literature. Since her father was a scientist, the children were exposed to science right from childhood. Manya was brilliant and always secured the first rank in the class. At the age of 16, she won a gold medal for completing her secondary education. Women were not allowed to join the University. She had to join an illegal night school. She was a believer in the power of education.  To support her family, she became a tutor to a family in the countryside. She helped her sister to become a doctor in Paris. 

 

Life in Paris: 

Manya's sister invited her to Paris. There she changed her name to Marie, and she met great physicists in the Paris university. She worked far into the night to achieve something in the field of science. She studied Physics and Mathematics and quickly received her master's degree in both the subjects. 

 

The Curies:

She began her research in magnetism in Lipmann's Research Laboratory. In the spring of 1894, she met Pierre, a young scientist. They got married on July 25, 1895, and together they were known as the Curies. The Curies were interested in the research of Uranium and this led to the discovery of Radioactivity. The Curies then discovered the new element called Polonium which was named after Poland. Marie received her Doctor of Science in June 1903. The birth of her two daughters Irene and Eve in 1897 and 1904 did not stop Marie from doing her scientific work. She worked as a teacher and she taught science based on experimental demonstrations. Pierre Curie was offered the position of Director of the Physics Laboratory at the University of Sorbonne. Unfortunately, he was killed in an accident on April 19, 1906. 

 

Her contributions to Science: 

The post was offered to Marie Curie and she became the first woman to become the Director of a research lab. She continued her research even after the death of a husband. She focused on radioactivity. In 1911, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for discovering pure radium. She discovered that radiation could kill healthy human cells and it could also kill diseased human cells. She used radium for killing tumours. She set up the Radium Institute at the University of Paris. During World War 1, Marie Curie designed the X-ray machine with the help of her daughter. She also designed the first mobile X-ray machine. She travelled far and wide, delivered lectures and inspired thousands of young scientists. She died because of her exposure to the radium. The condition was known as aplastic anaemia. 

 

Why do we remember her? 

We are able to treat Cancer because of her inventions. 

Modern atomic clocks and computers were invented because of her

She didn't have money and space. Sometimes she had to wait for years to get the result. 

She is the only woman in human history to win two Nobel Prizes

Her discoveries led to path-breaking research in nuclear physics. 

She was the first woman in Europe to receive a doctorate in Science. 

She was the first female lecturer, professor and head of the laboratory at the Sorbonne University in

Paris. 

She was the first woman to receive 15 Gold medals, 19 degrees and many honors.