Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland, to a family of educators. Her father was a teacher of mathematics and physics, and her mother was a headmistress. Despite limited access to formal education for women in Poland under Russian rule, Marie showed exceptional academic promise from a young age.
She continued her studies in the Flying University, a clandestine institution for Polish youth, especially women. In 1891, determined to pursue higher education, she moved to Paris, where she studied physics and mathematics at the Sorbonne. She adopted the French version of her name, Marie.
In Paris, Marie met Pierre Curie, a physicist. The two married in 1895 and formed one of the most iconic scientific partnerships in history. Together, they investigated radioactive substances and discovered two new elements: polonium (named after Marie’s homeland, Poland) and radium.
Their groundbreaking work led to the coining of the term “radioactivity” and opened up an entirely new field of research in physics and chemistry.
This led to their joint receipt of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, alongside Henri Becquerel.
After Pierre’s tragic death in 1906, Marie continued their research and became the first female professor at the University of Paris. During World War I, she developed mobile X-ray units (“Little Curies”) to assist battlefield surgeons, saving countless lives.
Her pioneering contributions earned her a second Nobel Prize—this time in Chemistry—in 1911, making her the first person ever to win two Nobel Prizes in different scientific fields.
Marie Curie founded the Radium Institute in Paris in 1914, which became a leading center for medical research. She also trained a new generation of scientists, including her daughter Irène Joliot-Curie, who also won a Nobel Prize.
Marie Curie died in 1934 from aplastic anemia, likely caused by prolonged exposure to radiation—then not well understood. Her notebooks are still radioactive and stored in lead boxes.
Despite facing gender discrimination throughout her career, Curie broke barriers for women in science. Her unwavering dedication, brilliance, and humility have made her a timeless symbol of scientific integrity and perseverance.
“I am one of those who think that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries.”
“We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”
“We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity.”
