Marie Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Curie
(1867 - 1934
The Curies worked together investigating radioactivity, building on the work of the
German physicist Roentgen and the French physicist Becquerel. In July 1898, the
Curies announced the discovery of a new chemical element, polonium. At the end of
the year, they announced the discovery of another, radium. The Curies, along with
Becquerel, were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.
Pierre's life was cut short in 1906 when he was knocked down and killed by a
carriage. Marie took over his teaching post, becoming the first woman to teach at the
Sorbonne, and devoted herself to continuing the work that they had begun together.
She received a second Nobel Prize, for Chemistry, in 1911.
The Curie's research was crucial in the development of x-rays in surgery. During
World War One Curie helped to equip ambulances with x-ray equipment, which she
herself drove to the front lines. The International Red Cross made her head of its
radiological service and she held training courses for medical orderlies and doctors in
the new techniques.
Despite her success, Marie continued to face great opposition from male scientists in
France, and she never received significant financial benefits from her work. By the