Marie Curie

Marie Curie was a Physicist born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867. She was given a general education in local schools and got some scientific training from her father. In 1891, she went to Paris to continue her studies at the Sorbonne which was a part of the University of Paris. In 1894 she met Pierre Curie who was the Professor in the School of Physics. A year later, they married. Marie succeeded her husband and became Head of the Physics Laboratory at the Sorbonne. In 1903, Marie gained her Doctor of Science Degree. After the tragic death of Pierre Curie in 1906, she took his place as Professor of General Physics in the Faculty of Sciences and was the first woman to hold this position. She was also appointed Director of The Curie Laboratory in the Radium institute of the University of Paris, which was founded in 1914.

Marie developed methods for the separation of radium from radioactive residues in order to characterize and the carefully study its properties. Throughout her life, Marie liked the idea of using radium to ease the pain of World War I soldiers and victims. In fact, she and her daughter personally aided the soldiers and victims with radium. Marie Curie had a strong love for science throughout her life and tried to establish a radioactivity laboratory in her home town. Then 1929, President Hoover of the United States presented her with a gift of $50,000, donated by American friends of Science, to buy radium for her laboratory in Warsaw, Poland.

Marie Curie was respected and admired by scientists throughout the world. She was a member of the "Conseil du Physique Solvay" from 1911 until her death. Then 1922 she became a member of the Committee of Intellectual Co-operation of the League of Nations.

As a result of her work, she received many awards. She received many honorary science, medicine and law degrees and honorary memberships of organizations throughout the world. Together with her husband, she was awarded