Introduction
Marie Curie. She put her life in danger just because she wanted to find a new element to add to the periodic table. She worked herself sick, even with two children. Meet Marie Curie, the one who discovered both radium and polonium.
Marie's family
Marie Curie was born on November 7, 1867, into a family of brainy people. She lived in Warsaw, Poland. Her father, Wladyslaw, was a scientist. Marie's mother, Bronislawa, was very well educated for a woman in the 1800s. Marie had many siblings, one of whom died when she was only 15. There were Zosia, Józef, Bronya, and Hela.
Early Years
Marie was very much like her father, a scientist. She spent her first months of being able to crawl in her father's study, where scientific instruments of all kind were located. She was awestruck by all of the equipment, such as fine glass tubes. Everyone in the family knew that Marie would take after her father. When Marie was 10, Bronislawa became sick. She had come down with an incurable disease called contracted tuberculosis. A little while later, Zosia became sick with typhus. They both soon died.
Marie's schooling
At age 15, Marie graduated from secondary school and presented her father with a gold medal for being at the top of her class. He expected nothing less than that. Marie still had a thirst for knowledge, but she was not permitted to attend the men-only University of Warsaw. She began to study with the Floating University, a "university" that moved from house to house to avoid being caught, thus the name. Marie desperately wanted to study in "education heaven", A.K. A. France, and so did Bronya, one of her siblings. Marie said that she would support Bronya while she was in school, and that her sister would do the same for her. For about five years, Marie worked as a tutor and governess. During that time, she went to the "Museum of Industry and Agriculture", which was actually and illegal lab training for the Polish. After almost eight years, Marie could finally go to the Sorbonne and study in Paris. She was only twenty-four. In the year of 1893, Marie heard the final exam results, and she was in first place. She continued her studies and earned a degree in mathematical sciences.
Marie~main accomplishments
Marie made many discoveries, but the two that stand out are the discovery of two elements and the winning of not one, but two, Nobel Peace prizes. Curie discovered radium and polonium, polonium named after her homeland: Poland. Her Nobel Peace prizes were won in two areas, physics and chemistry.
One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.
Goals
Marie's goal was to prove that women can do many of the things that men can do. (She lived during a time where there were many "men only" or "no women allowed" signs). She definitely proved that goal with all of her accomplishments.
Influence
Marie's main influence was her father. She always had been interested in the work her father did and all of the materials he used. Her father loved science, and so did she. Marie might have been influenced by the fact that at the time in Poland, it was illegal for a woman to have a career in science.
Biopoem~Marie Curie
Marie
Determined, hardworking, smart
Wife of Pierre Curie, mother of Irene Joliot-Curie and Ève Denise Curie Labouisse
Who loved science and education
Who hated gender discrimination, publicity, and being pitied
Who feared that she would never get a good education, feared that she would not be able to isolate the element she was looking for
Who discovered radium and polonium, who received two Noble Peace prizes
Who wanted women to get degrees in science
Born in Warsaw, Poland and died in Passy
Curie
-Marie Curie timeline-
Important parts of her life
Nov. 7, 1867-Marie is born
1891-Marie heads to Paris to study
1894-Marie earns a 2nd degree in mathematical sciences
Spring 1894-Marie meets Pierre Curie, her future husband
July 1895-Marie & Pierre Curie get married
September 1897- Irène Curie is born
July 13, 1898-Marie discovers Polonium
December 20, 1897-Marie discovers Radium
1903-Marie wins a Nobel Prize for Physics (shared with Henry Becquerel)
1905-Ève Curie is born
April 1906- Pierre Curie dies
1911-Marie wins a Nobel Prize for Chemistry
November 1914- During World War 1, Marie helps wounded by sending X-ray machine
1925-Effects of exposure to Radium are found
1926-Irène marries Frèdèric Joliot.
July 4, 1934-Marie Curie dies. Her last words:
I want to be left in peace
Bibliography
Biography.com Editors. “Marie Curie Biography.” The Biography.com Website , A&E Television Networks , 20 Nov. 2015, www.biography.com/people/marie-curie-9263538#early-life. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017.
Created with images by Tekniska museet - "Marie Curie" • Science Activism - "088 Radium - Periodic Table of Elements" • Science Activism - "084 Polonium - Periodic Table of Elements"
Marie Curie - Nobel Prize. 12 Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcaU3b6ofN4. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017.
Krull, Kathleen, and Boris Kulikov. Marie Curie. New York, Viking Children's Book, 2008.
“Władysław Skłodowski (1832 - 1902).” WikiTree, 17 July 2014, www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Sktodowska-3. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017.
Credits:
Created with images by Tekniska museet - "Marie Curie" • adam_gorka - "flag polish poland" • PDPics - "medal award gold" • Science Activism - "084 Polonium - Periodic Table of Elements" • Tekniska museet - "Marie Curie" • Science Activism - "088 Radium - Periodic Table of Elements" • Science Activism - "084 Polonium - Periodic Table of Elements" • Science Activism - "088 Radium - Periodic Table of Elements"