Marie Curie
Awesome Chemist
Childhood
Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland 1867. She was named Maria Skodowska, nicknamed Manya. Maria's dad was a professor of physics and math. Her mom died when she was 10 or 11 based on the source used. Her family was poor. When she went to college she when to the Sorbonne in Paris because Poland had man-only universities. It was hard for her to get there because family was poor. In France she went by Marie, French for Maria. Marie was a good student but she was but she was obviously poor-she lived off bread and butter. Eventually, she met Pierre Curie and they got married.
Marie's Studies
Marie studied elements-substances that can't be broken down into anything simpler. She first worked with x-rays. At the time, rays that could go though some stuff were called x-rays. Marie also worked with radioactivity and found only some elements gave it off. She found an element she named polonium after her home city, Poland. She also found an element she named radium. Radium is two million times more radioactive than uranium.
Accomplishments
First, in 1898, Marie and Pierre's first daughter, Irene was born. Then, in 1903, Marie and Pierre won the NOBEL PRIZE for physics. Next, in 1904, Eve their second daughter was born. Finally, in 1911, Marie wins the Nobel Prize, again. She was the first woman to win one and the first person two win two.
An Accident
Sadly, Pierre never gets the second Nobel Prize because, in 1906, he gets hit and killed by a horse-drawn wagon.
The Radium Institute
The Radium Institute is the study of radium. It was set up by Marie. Marie gave them a gram of radium. It was the only gram of radium in France.
WW1 Work
For WW1(short for World War 1) Marie set up a portable x-ray service. Her x-ray found broken bones and bullets inside bodies of troops.
Death
On July 4, 1934 Marie died because of exposed to radioactivity.