Above all else, Marie Curie was a scientist with remarkable insight. But to the science contemporaries of her time, Curie was a woman, who happened to study science.
At times she was overlooked for her achievements, which were laying the foundation for what we understand about radioactive behavior that, today, runs nuclear reactors, powers deep-space exploration, and drives an entire field of medicine, called radiology.
Through the shameful, sexist-derived neglect, Curie's intellect, wit, and drive pushed her toward miraculous discoveries that even the scientific community could not ignore for long.
Curie became the first scientist to earn two Nobel Prizes, had three radiology institutes erected in her honor, saw her eldest daughter win a Nobel Prize, and was revered by the most brilliant minds of our time, including Albert Einstein.
Today, she's celebrated as one of the greatest scientists in history. In honor of Madame Marie Curie's birthday this month, here's the incredible story of her struggles and victories in a world where women were shunned.
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Maria Salomea Skłodowska was born in Warsaw, Poland on Nov. 7, 1867. Here's one of the earliest known photos of her at the age of 16.
Born in Warsaw, Poland as Maria Salomea Skłodowska, her middle name originates from the Polish word "Salome," which is traced to the Hebrew word for "peace."
Maria would later adopt her husband's last name as well as the French translation of her first name, to become known as Marie Curie.
Source: NobelPrize.org
The Curie sisters were determined to study despite government bans on higher education for women.
Russia-dominated Poland was in the midst of a feminist revolution, but changes were slow-going.
Since women were still banned from higher education, Curie and one of her sisters joined the Flying University — an educational institution that admitted women— in the mid 1880s.
Source: American Institute of Physics
She eventually moved to Paris in 1891.
To continue her studies in chemistry, math, and physics, Curie studied at Sorbonne — the University of Paris at the time — where she eventually became head of the Physics Laboratory.
Source: NobelPrize.org
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