Marie Curie

Profession: Physicist

Nationality:

Biography: Marie Curie was a pioneering physicist and chemist who made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of radioactivity, a term she actually coined. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields: Physics and Chemistry.

Born in Poland, Curie moved to Paris for her higher studies where she met and married Pierre Curie, a fellow scientist. Together, they conducted revolutionary research on radioactive substances. The Curies' discovery of the elements radium and polonium significantly advanced the new field of atomic physics.

After Pierre's untimely death, Curie continued their work and in 1911, she was awarded her second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, for her services to the advancement of chemistry by the discovery of the elements radium and polonium, by the isolation of radium and the study of the nature and compounds of this remarkable element.

In addition to her scientific achievements, Curie was deeply committed to the practical application of her research. During World War I, she established mobile radiography units, known as "Little Curies," to provide X-ray services to field hospitals, significantly improving medical care for wounded soldiers.

Born: November 7, 1867
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Star Sign: Scorpio

Died: July 4, 1934 (aged 66)
Cause of Death: Aplastic anemia