The tale of Marie Curie Nobel Prize winner
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Science is like magic, more logical, and reasonable magic. It makes the impossible possible. It is a power which has always been with us, some power discovered and millions of aspects yet to discover.
In today’s world even though science is known worldwide with many discoveries in the past, there are millions of things yet to discover. We are blessed to have our lifestyle like this thanks to all the discoveries and inventions done in the past. One of the major and the spectacular discovery was the discovery of polonium and radium and later X-rays by the same scientist Marie Curie.
Marie Curie had already set a name for herself when she first visited the United States. She is widely known as the female scientist who discovered elements of radium and polonium. Marie was the first female to win the Nobel Prize and the first person to win the Nobel Prize twice. Marie Curie Nobel prize is the fruit she got from all her works and research.
Marie Curie Early Life
Born on November 7, 1867, Warsaw, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire, the great female scientist Marie Curie was always thrilled with science ever since childhood. Marie Curie full name is Maria Salomea Skłodowska. Blessed with a prodigious memory, she devoted her whole life to science.
As both parents were teachers, she could learn a lot about science from an early age. Sadly her mother passed away due to tuberculosis when she was just 10 years old. With her ever-curious mind, she learned a lot and topped at school. Despite being a topper, she had to attend Warshaw’s floating university which was held informally in secret due to the male dominant society.
The family went through a financial crisis. The youngest Marie and her sister Bronya agreed on helping each other to earn an official degree. To earn for her sister, Marie worked as a teacher and governess. She also spared her time to study physics, chemistry, and maths.
Finally, she enrolled at the Sorbonne and dedicated herself to studies. She survived on little money, it caused her poor health condition. After struggles, she earned a master’s degree in physics and mathematics.
The scientist couple: Marie curie and Pierre Curie
After her graduation, Marie worked in a lab where she met French physicist Pierre Curie. Both scientists fell in love and helped each other’s work. They bonded the knot in 1895 becoming husband and wife as well as colleagues.
What did Marie curie discover?
Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie worked together which led to the discovery of polonium and radium a few months later. Marie continued to experiment with uranium. In the subject of uranium, Marie found a mineral superior to uranium, pitchblende.
Pierre helped with Marie’s work which led to the finding of polonium and radium. It was a great discovery and the couple was awarded Nobel prize in the name of physics. This was the first Marie curie Nobel prize she received.
In the process of discovering new elements, two scientists had a beautiful daughter Irene in 1897 and second daughter Eve in 1904. Alongside this, she started lecturing as a physicist at a girl’s school and was also appointed the chief assistant of the laboratory.
Unfortunately, just when everything was going right, Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. It was a great loss for Marie, but it did not stop her there. She dedicated all of her energy to her scientific work.
In 1906, she took her husband’s place as a professor in Sorbonne and became the first female professor. In 1910, her paper about radioactivity was published and was again awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry. This thus added to her Marie Curie Nobel prize list.
Throughout the world war I, Marie Curie and her daughter Irene Curie were of much help by developing the X-radiography. After she earned her fame from her work, finally she visited the United States. She was honored and awarded. Marie gave numerous speeches, with her increasing followers she founded the Curie Foundation in Paris in 1932.
Marie Curie cause of Death
As a result of her exposure to radiation throughout her life, Marie Curie cause of death was due to leukemia. With the help of her immense contribution to science, Marie curie still lives through her discoveries and use of the technology she created.
