Biography of Madame Curie, the scientist who won the Nobel Prize twice.
Childhood of Marie Curie
Marie Curie mother died at a young age. Her early education began at home. Her father used to read literature and science books to all the children. Her mother, ‘Bronislava,’ was often ill. So due to their financial constraints and other problems in the family, she could not get proper treatment. Her mother died at the age of 42. At that time, Marie was only 10 years old. After the death of her mother, the burden of family problems increased further. But Marie now started her formal education and started going to school.
Education of Marie Curie
Beginning of formal education In 1883, Marie Curie passed her high school examination with first division. Due to the poor financial condition of her family, she had to work as a governess. She continued her university studies alongside her job. After this, she went to Paris to study higher in 1891. In Poland, they called her ‘Maria.’ But in Paris, she started being called ‘Mary.’.
College life
Marie Curie stayed at her sister Bronya’s house in Paris for some time, but due to the house being far from the university, she later rented a cheap house near the university. At the same time, due to staying away from formal education for a few years, she had to work harder than other students. After this, in 1893, Marie earned her master’s degree in physics with first division.
Employeement
Marie Curie was confident that she would find a job in Warsaw, as she believed it would match her qualifications. However, she was disappointed when she did not get a teaching job at a university because she was a woman.
After some time, Marie Curie taught tuition to children at home due to a lack of money and resources. After some time, she got a scholarship for higher studies abroad. She again went to Paris. Here Mary obtained a master’s in mathematics in the year 1894.
Curie Pierre meeting
Marie Curie’s scientific career started when she got a job at the ‘Society for the Encouragement of National Industry.’ They assigned her to investigate the chemical structure of different types of steel. She also studied their magnetic properties as part of her work. But this work was difficult, so Marie needed a laboratory. Then Marie’s professor helped her and introduced her to physicist ‘Pierre Curie,’ who was the head of ‘The City of Paris Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Institution at that time.
Marie Curie's married life
Pierre Curie was a quiet and shy person who spent most of his time in the laboratory.After meeting Pierre Curie, Marie also started working with him in the laboratory. Their love for science brought them closer to each other, and after some time, they married in 1895.They had two children named Iron and Eve Curie.Like Marie Curie and Pierre Curie, their daughter Irène and her husband, Frederic Joliot, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They received the honor in the year 1935.
Marie Curie discoveries in radioactivity
Daughter Irène and her husband, Frederic Joliot, won the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.When Marie’s name was not on the list of Nobel Prize winners, Marie Curie and her husband, Pierre Curie, jointly discovered ‘radioactivity’ for many years, and finally their hard work paid off. After processing pitchblende ore, they discovered the atomic weight of radium. Their research proved that radium is a new element.
Let us tell you that Marie wrote her thesis on this subject and obtained a PhD degree. You will be surprised to know that Marie was the first woman in France to get a ‘doctorate’ degree. In 1903, the Nobel Prize in Physics nominated Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel.
But Marie’s name was missing from this list. After which Swedish mathematician and scientist ‘Gösta Mittag-Leffler’ and ‘Pierre Curie’ wrote a letter to the Nobel Prize Committee and objected to the absence of Marie’s name.
Marie Curie's Nobel Prize
After they received the Nobel Prize, the couple’s popularity grew everywhere, and their financial condition improved. People called Marie Curie ‘Madame Curie’ with respect. But after some time in the year 1906, her husband, Pierre Curie, died in a road accident. But she continued the search for radium and polonium.
She was successful in this work. Eight years later, she received the second Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. Along with this, the university appointed Marie Curie as a professor at Sorbonne University in Paris. Let us tell you that the university appointed her as the first woman in this role.
Awards and Honors
Let us tell you that Marie Curie received many other major awards, including the ‘Albert Medal,’ ‘Willard Gibbs Award,’ ‘Cameron Award,’ and ‘Davy Medal.’ She received these prestigious honors throughout her life. Marie Curie passed away in France. Marie Curie dedicated her entire life to science and the welfare of mankind.
After receiving the Nobel Prize for the second time, she devoted herself to the discovery of X-rays and radiography. However, due to exposure to radium radiation, she became a victim of cancer, and battling this serious disease, she bid goodbye to the world forever on July 4, 1934, at the age of 66. But her discoveries and efforts for human welfare will always make people remember her.
Marie Curie shared some inspirational and precious thoughts. Madame Curie said these quotes. As you can see in the points given below, we should not fear anything in this world. There is nothing in this world that we need to be afraid of. We need to understand things properly; only this can reduce our fear.
Very few people see what has happened so far. Most people want to know what remains.There is no need to fear anyone as long as what you are doing is right. As long as it is not harming anyone, you have nothing to fear.