Profile of the Day: Marie Curie

Posted November 7, 2023 by Amanda | No Comment

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”

– Marie Curie

Image: Marie Curie / Nationaal Archief, Flickr

Today we celebrate the life of renowned physicist Marie Curie, who was born on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. A pioneer in radiation research, Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person (and only woman) to win twice in different fields.

She was born Maria Salomea Skłodowska to a family of educators. She studied physics and mathematics in France, where she met her husband, Pierre Curie. The Curie’s investigations into radioactivity were groundbreaking and they successfully isolated the radioactive elements polonium and radium. In 1903, the couple was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

After the death of her husband, Curie took over his teaching post at the Sorbonne, becoming the first woman to teach at the prestigious institution. In 1911, she received her second Nobel Prize, but this time in Chemistry. Unfortunately, her years of working with radioactive materials took a toll on her health. In 1934, she died from aplastic anemia, which is brought on by prolonged exposure to radiation.

Her daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, would follow in her parents’ footsteps. She was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 for her discovery of artificial radioactivity. Today, Marie Curie continues to remain an inspiration to people all around the world.

Explore her family tree on Geni and discover your connection to Marie Curie!