Marie Curie

Marie Curie 1867 - 1934

As teacher and a father of a daughter, Marie Curie has always been an exceptional female role model in the field of science and math. Born in 1867 as Magna Sklodowska,  Marie was of Polish nationality and her parents taught her to read Polish at a time when it was illegal! 

Her mother died early and the house was turned into a boarding house and school by her father to make ends meet. Magna found respite in her studies. Her sisters and brother would try to distract Magna to no avail.

Around 1890, Magna changed her name from the Polish to the French pronunciation. This is the time when Marie began studying Physics at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. After graduating with top marks in Physics she began her second degree in Mathematics.

During the time at the Sorbonne, Marie met, married and work side-by-side with Pierre Curie. There is a wonderful 1943 movie, Madame Curie , based on a biography written by one of her daughter’s, Eve. The movie depicts the hardship of their lab conditions, and the work that goes into separating pitchblende into its elements. At the time pitchblende was a source of Uranium, however Marie and Pierre discovered two other radioactive elements hidden in it : Radium and Polonium, named after her native Poland.

In 1903, Marie was the first woman awarded a Nobel Prize when she and Pierre were awarded a Nobel prize in Physics for their discoveries in the new science of radioactivity. 

Alpha particle ejected from the nucleus of atom.

Three years later, Pierre tragically was run over by a horse and carriage crossing the street on a rainy day in Paris. Marie Curie became the first female Professor at the Sorbonne when she took Pierre’s position. Marie had a difficult time going back into the the lab because she and Pierre worked so closely for so many years.

Marie was awarded a second Nobel prize in 1911 in Chemistry. Now Marie was the first person to win two Nobel prizes in different fields.

When World War I broke out, Marie put science to work to save many lives. X-rays are excellent at showing pieces of metal like bullet shrapnel, in a body. If the surgeon does not find all of the metal, greatly increases the chance the patient will not recover. At the time, x-ray equipment was only in the bigger hospitals in the cities. 

Marie knew that the x-rays machines were needed at the front-line hospitals. Marie figured out how to put the x-ray equipment in a truck. The truck traveled between army hospitals supplying x-ray images and giving its life saving information. The trucks that drove the x-ray equipment were known as “Petite Curies” or “Little Curies. 

Marie in a "Little Curie truck"

The courageous Marie and one of her daughter’s drove to the front-line and trained others on how to run the x-ray machine. We found an enjoyable children's movie depicting this part of Marie's life called Marie Curie- More Than Meets The Eye at the library years ago and loved it.

Marie received the French Legion of Honor because she was beloved by France even before the war.

Marie and Pierre honored on French money.

Marie’s daughter, Irene also was awarded a Nobel prize in Chemistry in 1935. This was a year after Marie’s death at 66.

Madame Curie is now accessible to kids in graphic novels about her amazing life. This book my daughter enjoyed Marie Curie (History Maker Bios).

.