Famous Chemist: Marie Curie
Marie Curie (born Sklodowska) was a famous physicist and chemist. She was also the first woman, who received a Nobel Prize and even two times in her life, and both were given to her for inventions and discoveries in science. She was also the first woman, who became a professor at the French university of Paris. Besides that, she was also the first woman, who was buried in the french Parthenon, only for her own merits.
However, her life was not easy. She was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867. Two of her family members died soon after her birth; when she grew older, she went to a local International comprehensive school, and then, after she had successfully graduated from there, she entered the upper secondary school for girls. She was very curious and wanted to know everything, especially things, that were related to science. Maria was successful at school and her studies in general. She was often put as an example for less motivated students in her class, so they could learn from her.
Although she was a very good student, she couldn’t enter university in Poland, because she was a girl and girls were not allowed to study there. Maria’s family has never been rich, so Maria had to come up with some not so simple and obvious ideas to get money if she wanted to get a proper education in any other country.
Together with her sister Bronya, Maria decided to get an education in France because it was one of the only places where women could study in university.
Maria found a job as a private teacher, she kindly offered to pay for Bronya’s education in Paris first. On the side of the job, usually, she continued educating herself on her own in early mornings or late nights to keep her mind clear and always in shape. At the same time, her sister Bronya was studying medicine in Paris, she wanted to become a doctor.
After Bronya had finished her education abroad, it was Maria’s turn to enter french university. She applied to one of the best universities in France — Sorbonne University in Paris and eventually got in. There she studied physics, math, and chemistry. Her study years were tough, she had almost no money and had to wear all her clothes to keep herself warm during the winter. After her studies were completed she began to work in a Parisian laboratory as a physicist.
At university, she met Pierre Curie, who was a physicist and a chemist. They had mutual interests and fell in love with each other. In spite of her feelings towards Pierre Curie, Marie didn’t accept his proposal at first, because after graduation she wanted to return back to Poland. She has even succeeded in that having returned back to beloved Poland straight after her graduation.
However, she could settle there just for a time being, because she has found out that she was not allowed to work in a Polish university because of sexism. As a result, she had to return to France. In the city of love, Paris, she married Pierre and so their scientific career began.
Marie and Pierre Curie have been working very hard and after many years of hard work, they have achieved a lot of things in the scientific field.
Firstly, they have discovered radioactivity and made many experiments on this topic. This invention made Marie famous and she received her first, but not last Nobel prize in her life. Actually, Marie Curie has been the very first woman in history who had recieved the award. Marie’s husband Pierre has also got several Nobel Prizes as well, as also did another well-known scientist and chemist — Henry Becquerel.
Later in life Marie has also discovered two new chemical elements — radium and polonium. These discoveries brang the second Nobel prize to her.
After the Curie couple had won the Nobel Prize, as result they got enough money to get their own laboratory, which made their life and scientific work easier.
Marie Curie worked hard (together with her husband) until her last days. She died in 1934 at the age of 66 years. Due to her work with dangerous elements, she got a lot of radiation during her scientific career and that has worsened her health. The bad sides of radiation were unknown then, so the Curie couple got a lot of it during their work.
Marie also had two daughters. Her daughter Irene has received a Nobel Prize, just as her mother did, and she became the second woman in the world who has won it.
Another Marie’s daughter, Eve, has written a biographical book about her well-known mother. In my humble opinion, it is a very interesting book to read and learn from it a bit more about the gorgeous life of such an amazing woman, who has influenced both science and our everyday lives all over the globe.
