Person of the Month - November 2009

Marie Curie

Marie Sklodowska Curie was one of the greatest, most brilliant scientists of all time. She was born this day, November 7th in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, the daughter of a mathematician who also taught her physics.

In 1891 Marie began studying at the prestigious Sorbonne in Paris, France in multiple disciplines: physics, chemistry and mathematics. She earned her physics degree in 1893 and her math degree in 1894.

That was the year she met Pierre Curie, her true love. Also a physicist, they shared a love of science and worked together for years until his untimely death in 1906.

They published a paper together in 1898 detailing the discovery of a new element, Polonium, that Marie named after her country of birth, Poland. That year they announced another discovery - the element radium. Marie coined the term radioactivity. They shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics for their research into "the radiation phenomenon." Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

She did it again and thus became the first woman to ever win 2 Nobel prizes and in two different disciplines!

The 1911 prize in Chemistry was awarded to Marie in recognition for the elements radium and polonium and her work in radioactivity.

Standards of the day paled (okay, they were non-existent) to modern protocol and Marie often carried around radioactive isotopes "in her pocket." This directly contributed to her death in 1934.

Her lab and materials - her kitchen cookbook! - are all super-contaminated to this day. Her lab notes, materials, everything is kept in lead lined containers and can only be opened under special circumstances with haz mat suits.

Marie Curie's contribution to modern science is incalculable. The barriers she faced as a woman and overcame are incredible. Do you know how many women were earning masters degrees in physics in the 1800's? You can count them on one hand!

She was the first female professor at the University of Paris. She is and will always be an icon to the scientific community and to women everywhere. She is the most famous and celebrated female scientist that ever lived. Just this year, 2009, Marie Curie was voted as "The Most Inspirational Woman in Science." YGG!

Marie and Pierre are now interred at the Paris Pantheon, and of course, she is the first and only woman to be buried there.

The Curie (symbol Ci), a unit of radioactivity, is named in her and/or Pierre's honour.
Three radioactive minerals are named after the Curies.
Skłodowska-Curie's likeness appeared on the Polish late-1980s 20,000banknote.
Her likeness has also appeared on stamps and coins, and on the last French 500 franc note.
Marie Curie was voted the "Most inspirational woman in science" in a 2009 poll carried out by New Scientist magazine on behalf of the UNESCO 'For Women In Science' programme.

Polish institutions named after Maria Skłodowska–Curie include:
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, founded in 1944;
Maria Skłodowska–Curie Institute of Oncology, in Warsaw.

French institutions named after Maria Skłodowska–Curie include:
Pierre and Marie Curie University, the largest science, technology and medicine university in France.
The Curie Institute and Curie Museum, in Paris.
In 2007, the Pierre Curie Metro station was renamed the "Pierre et Marie Curie" station.

End Note:
Unbelievably, not only did Marie and Pierre win the Nobel Prizes but their daughter Irene won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 and Irene's husband won as well.