Maria Curie Two Noble prize winner

 Maria Curie 

Two Noble prize winner 

Poland gift to the world

Maria Born in Poland (City of Warsaw). In 1867

Maria was youngest of 5,children

Parents Teacher

Father atheist 

Mother Roman Catholic 

Mother death (Tu erculosis)

Sister death (Typhus)

Maria was 10 years

Formal education at the University of Paris la Sorbone

1893 she earned a degree in Physics and went on 

to earn

Second degree in mathematics  the next year.

Maria lacked Laboratory space for her 

Research

Physicist Joseph Kowalski Wiprusz introduced her to young

Scientist with extra lab space .

That scientist was Pierre Curie. Pierre would marry to Maria soon but she 

Would not immediately accept .

She would convince Pierre to finish her doctoral studies .At her urging

He did so.

Finally Maria would write "Our work drew us closer and closer ,until we were both

Convinced that neither of us could neither of us could find better  life companion"

She married .She ware dark blue weeding dress.

   Following  the  discovery of X rays by Wilhelm Roentegen

And first observations of radioactive by Henri Becquerel 

, Maria became interested in new field.

She constructed a hypothesis that this radiation came from the

Atom it self as a type of disintegration .

Maria and Pierre discovered  the first

Radioactive element.

      Maria humbly asked Pierre if he would agree to name

The substance  Polonium to bring awareness to her own

Home land., which had been removed from the map

And divided by occupying nations of Czarist Russia,

Austria,and Germany . Pierre agreed for Polonium name.

Maria in Proceedings of Academy of Science July 18 she would write"We 

Proposed to call Polonium from the name of the original country of one of us,"

    With that single statement she would raise awareness of the struggle for

Independence in her beloved Poland and inspire her countriman.

Polond regain independence in 1918.

In 1903 Maria  Curie  received her doctorate from University of

Paris.

Maria and Pierre were asked to speak on radioactive at the

Royal Institution in London Because of the prohibition against

Women speaking at the institution , Pierre gave the address 

Later that year both Pierre and Maria Curie would be invited 

To the Royal Swedish Academy of sciences to receive Noble 

Prize in Physics along with Henri Becquerel.

     Curies decided not to attend the ceremony as they disliked

The spot light

And wished to continue their work uninterrupted.

Tragidy struck in 1906 as Pierre was killed in an accident

Leaving despodent and caring for two young daughters.

The University of Paris offered Maria Pierre 's Chair in the Physics department,making her first woman professor in history.

       Shortly afterwards She was able to isolate Radium 

For the first time and enveloped an international 

Standard  for  radioactive decay.

      In 1911 Maria was awarded

 the second noble prize this time

   In Chemistry.

           Maria Curie was instrumental  in the invention

Of mobile X ray units.

Named" Pitite Curies."

Estimated to have aided in the care of  one million out of 42million Allied troops 

Developed Radon needles to aid in infection control.

  Maria routinely donated her prize money .

Maria worked constantly  until she began to suffer from

Aplarstic  anemia 

In the strange irony a disease liked caused by radiation 

Exposure would take the life of the woman whose greatest

Accomplishments revolved around substance that would be

 used for first by her to cure malignancies in innumerable 

Patients.

Ref  Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy

 2014 Sep 10:6(3):297-299

Mark Trombeta