Marie Curie

Marie Curie, born Maria Skłodowska, was a Polish and French physicist and chemist who made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, and the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two scientific fields.

Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867. She studied in Paris and conducted her scientific research there. In 1895, she married Pierre Curie, a French physicist, and they worked together on pioneering research on radioactivity. They discovered two new elements, polonium and radium, and coined the term "radioactivity."

Tragically, Pierre Curie died in a street accident in 1906. Despite this loss, Marie Curie continued her research and became the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris. She founded the Curie Institute in Paris and the Curie Institute in Warsaw, both of which are major medical research centers.

During World War I, Curie developed mobile radiography units to provide X-ray services to field hospitals. She also used her scientific knowledge to help wounded soldiers.

Marie Curie's work had a profound impact on the fields of physics, chemistry, and medicine. She overcame many barriers as a woman in a male-dominated field and became an icon in the scientific world. Her contributions to science and her dedication to her research continue to inspire generations of scientists.

Marie Curie died in 1934 at the age of 66. She was buried in the Panthéon in Paris, becoming the first woman to be interred there on her own merits. Her legacy lives on through the numerous awards, honors, and institutions named after her.