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A Time Of Life.
Born Maria Sklodowska, November 7, 1867, in Warsaw, Poland. Her parents were both teachers (of math and physics). Maria, better known as Marie, was the youngest of five children. Siblings: Zosia, Jozef, Bronya, and Hela. -
Death Finds One.
When Marie was 10 years old, her mother, Bronsislawa, died from tuberculosis. She took after her father and became a curios mind. She was a top student in her secondary school. Marie could not attend the men only University of Warsaw so she instead continued her education in a "floating university", a set of informal classes held in secret. -
College.
In November 1891, Marie, 23, rode 40 hours on a train from her native Warsaw to Paris, Seeking a college education. She traveled in fourth class which meant she had to bring her own food to eat and stool to sit on. She enrolled at Sorbonne University. She threw herself into what she studie. All her dedication had a cost, with little money she survived on bread and tea and her health suffered. -
Hard Work Pays.
With hard work, Marie obtained her master's degree in physics in July 1893. Women's education advocates gave her a scholarship to stay and Marie received a second degree in mathematics, awarded in 1894. -
Romance.
After receiving her degrees, Marie needed a lab to work in. A colleague of Marie introduced her to French physicist, Pierre Curie. Romance grew between the brilliant duo, and they became a dynamic pair. They were married on July 26, 1895. Marie and Pierre were dedicated to their work and to one another. Initially, they worked on their own projects, due to Marie being interested in the work of Henri Becquerel. Later Pierre dropped his work and devoted time to collaborate with Marie. -
Irene.
In 1897, Marie and Pierre Curie had a daughter, Irene, but their work didn't slow down. Around this time Pierre put aside his own work to help Marie with her exploration into radioactivity. In 1898, they discovered a new radioactive element, and named it polonium, after Marie's native country, Poland. They later discovered another element and called it radium. -
Nobel.
In December 1903, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Marie, Pierre, and Henri with the Nobel Prize in physics. -
Nobel #2.
In 1906, Pierre was ran over by a horse-drawn wagon. Marie wrote, "I lost my beloved Pierre, and with him all hope and all support for the rest of my life." After his death she continued to achieve greatness and was given the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1911 discover of radium and polonium. She was the first scientist to earn two Nobel Prizes. -
WWI.
During WWI Curie devoted time and resources into helping the cause. She created portable X-ray machines in the field. These medical vehicles earned the nickname "Little Curies." -
Trips to US.
In 1921, along with a second trip in 1929, Curie traveled to United States to raise money. She wanted to buy radium and set up a radium research institute in Warsaw. She visited th White House to recieve a gift of radium from the President. -
Death Finds Everyone.
In 1934 Curie went to the Sancellemoz Sanotorium in Passy, France, to try to rest and gain strength. Unfortunately dying on July 4, 1934, at the age of 66, of aplastic anemia, ironically caused by prolonged exposure to radiation.
