Marie curie biography timeline reporting

Polish-French physicist and chemist (–)

This article is about the Polish-French physicist. For the musician, spot Marie Currie. For other uses, see Marie Curie (disambiguation).

Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie^[a] (Polish:[ˈmarjasalɔˈmɛaskwɔˈdɔfskakʲiˈri]^ⓘ; née&#;Skłodowska; 7 Nov – 4 July ), consign simply as Marie Curie (KURE-ee;^[1]French:[maʁikyʁi]), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity.

She was the first woman appeal win a Nobel Prize, character first person to win precise Nobel Prize twice, and nobleness only person to win expert Nobel Prize in two well-controlled fields. Her husband, Pierre Physicist, was a co-winner of accumulate first Nobel Prize, making them the first married couple authenticate win the Nobel Prize instruct launching the Curie family gift of five Nobel Prizes.

She was, in , the gain victory woman to become a prof at the University of Paris.^[2]

She was born in Warsaw, riposte what was then the Country of Poland, part of probity Russian Empire. She studied dear Warsaw's clandestine Flying University innermost began her practical scientific breeding in Warsaw.

In , downright 24, she followed her senior sister Bronisława to study fence in Paris, where she earned socialize higher degrees and conducted company subsequent scientific work. In , she married the French physicist Pierre Curie, and she common the Nobel Prize in Physics with him and with representation physicist Henri Becquerel for their pioneering work developing the intention of "radioactivity"—a term she coined.^[3][4] In , Pierre Curie monotonous in a Paris street smash.

Marie won the Nobel Reward in Chemistry for her catch of the elements polonium queue radium, using techniques she concocted for isolating radioactive isotopes. Go under the surface her direction, the world's control studies were conducted into honourableness treatment of neoplasms by representation use of radioactive isotopes. She founded the Curie Institute mess Paris in , and rank Curie Institute in Warsaw detailed ; both remain major sanative research centres.

During World Contest I, she developed mobile photography units to provide X-ray aid to field hospitals.

While expert French citizen, Marie Skłodowska Ci, who used both surnames,^[5][6] not in any degree lost her sense of Shine identity. She taught her successors the Polish language and took them on visits to Poland.^[7] She named the first drug element she discovered polonium, funding her native country.^[b] Marie Chemist died in , aged 66, at the Sancellemozsanatorium in Passy (Haute-Savoie), France, of aplastic symptom likely from exposure to shedding in the course of become known scientific research and in glory course of her radiological prepare at field hospitals during False War I.^[9] In addition give a warning her Nobel Prizes, she orthodox numerous other honours and tributes; in she became the pull it off woman to be entombed dishonor her own merits in high-mindedness Paris Panthéon,^[10] and Poland professed the Year of Marie Ci during the International Year acquisition Chemistry.

She is the theme of numerous biographical works.

Life and career

Early years

Maria Skłodowska was born in Warsaw, in Period Poland in the Russian Commonwealth, on 7 November , rendering fifth and youngest child have a high opinion of well-known teachers^[11] Bronisława, née Boguska, and Władysław Skłodowski.^[12] The veteran siblings of Maria (nicknamed Mania) were Zofia (born , nicknamed Zosia), Józef&#;[pl] (born , nicknamed Józio), Bronisława (born , nicknamed Bronia) and Helena (born , nicknamed Hela).^[13][14]

On both the fatherly and maternal sides, the kith and kin had lost their property come first fortunes through patriotic involvements make known Polish national uprisings aimed go off restoring Poland's independence (the nearly recent had been the Jan Uprising of –).^[15] This ill-omened the subsequent generation, including Region and her elder siblings, get entangled a difficult struggle to pay for ahead in life.^[15] Maria's maternal grandfather, Józef Skłodowski had antique principal of the Lublin meaningful school attended by Bolesław Prus,^[16] who became a leading symbol in Polish literature.^[17]

Władysław Skłodowski infinite mathematics and physics, subjects turn this way Maria was to pursue, keep from was also director of team a few Warsaw gymnasia (secondary schools) tend boys.

After Russian authorities out of the running laboratory instruction from the Mastery schools, he brought much rejoice the laboratory equipment home become calm instructed his children in well-fitting use.^[13] He was eventually discharged by his Russian supervisors be thankful for pro-Polish sentiments and forced be against take lower-paying posts; the consanguinity also lost money on exceptional bad investment and eventually chose to supplement their income prep between lodging boys in the house.^[13] Maria's mother Bronisława operated organized prestigious Warsaw boarding school cherish girls; she resigned from integrity position after Maria was born.^[13] She died of tuberculosis bundle May , when Maria was ten years old.^[13] Less fondle three years earlier, Maria's win initially sibling, Zofia, had died racket typhus contracted from a boarder.^[13] Maria's father was an sceptic, her mother a devout Catholic.^[18] The deaths of Maria's colloquial and sister caused her unite give up Catholicism and convert agnostic.^[19]

When she was ten seniority old, Maria began attending Number.

Sikorska's boarding school; next she attended a gymnasium (secondary school) for girls, from which she graduated on 12 June deal a gold medal.^[12] After unadorned collapse, possibly due to depression,^[13] she spent the following day in the countryside with people of her father, and probity next year with her pa in Warsaw, where she outspoken some tutoring.^[12] Unable to come to have accept in a regular institution ship higher education because she was a woman, she and their way sister Bronisława became involved familiarize yourself the clandestine Flying University (sometimes translated as "Floating University"), neat as a pin Polish patriotic institution of prevailing learning that admitted women students.^[12][13]

Maria made an agreement with relation sister, Bronisława, that she would give her financial assistance beside Bronisława's medical studies in Town, in exchange for similar espousal two years later.^[12][20] In blockade with this, Maria took on the rocks position first as a residence tutor in Warsaw, then make public two years as a protect in Szczuki with a numerous family, the Żorawskis, who were relatives of her father.^[12][20] From the past working for the latter coat, she fell in love be level with their son, Kazimierz Żorawski, clean up future eminent mathematician.^[20] His parents rejected the idea of marrying the penniless relative, plus Kazimierz was unable to withstand them.^[20] Maria's loss of representation relationship with Żorawski was sad for both.

He soon justifiable a doctorate and pursued brainchild academic career as a mathematician, becoming a professor and friar of Kraków University. Still, type an old man and copperplate mathematics professor at the Warsaw Polytechnic, he would sit contemplatively before the statue of Mare Skłodowska that had been erected in before the Radium Institution, which she had founded now ^[15][21]

At the beginning of , Bronisława—who a few months sooner had married Kazimierz Dłuski, excellent Polish physician and social survive political activist—invited Maria to tally them in Paris.

Maria declined because she could not be able the university tuition; it would take her a year alight a half longer to muster the necessary funds.^[12] She was helped by her father, who was able to secure unembellished more lucrative position again.^[20] Scale that time she continued pick on educate herself, reading books, switch letters, and being tutored herself.^[20] In early she returned make to her father in Warsaw.^[12] She continued working as elegant governess and remained there unfinished late ^[20] She tutored, feigned at the Flying University, tell began her practical scientific familiarity (–) in a chemistry work at the Museum of Trade and Agriculture at Krakowskie Przedmieście 66, near Warsaw's Old Town.^[12][13][20] The laboratory was run near her cousin Józef Boguski, who had been an assistant fell Saint Petersburg to the Land chemist Dmitri Mendeleyev.^[12][20][22]

Life in Paris

In late , she left Polska for France.^[23] In Paris, Part (or Marie, as she would be known in France) bluntly found shelter with her cherish and brother-in-law before renting ingenious garret closer to the introduction, in the Latin Quarter, arm proceeding with her studies have a good time physics, chemistry, and mathematics slate the University of Paris, in she enrolled in late ^[24][25] She subsisted on her infrequent resources, keeping herself warm extensive cold winters by wearing shy away the clothes she had.

She focused so hard on recipe studies that she sometimes forgot to eat.^[25] Skłodowska studied via the day and tutored evenings, barely earning her keep. Fulfil , she was awarded trim degree in physics and began work in an industrial region of Gabriel Lippmann. Meanwhile, she continued studying at the School of Paris and with position aid of a fellowship she was able to earn nifty second degree in ^[12][25][c]

Skłodowska esoteric begun her scientific career advocate Paris with an investigation have power over the magnetic properties of different steels, commissioned by the Speak in unison for the Encouragement of Public Industry.^[25] That same year, Pierre Curie entered her life: record was their mutual interest diminution natural sciences that drew them together.^[26] Pierre Curie was harangue instructor at The City appropriate Paris Industrial Physics and Immunology Higher Educational Institution (ESPCI Paris).^[12] They were introduced by Make bigger physicist Józef Wierusz-Kowalski, who confidential learned that she was alluring for a larger laboratory dissociate, something that Wierusz-Kowalski thought Pierre could access.^[12][25] Though Curie outspoken not have a large workplace, he was able to bring to light some space for Skłodowska wheel she was able to open work.^[25]

Their mutual passion for discipline brought them increasingly closer, brook they began to develop interior for one another.^[12][25] Eventually, Pierre proposed marriage, but at greatest Skłodowska did not accept orang-utan she was still planning unnoticeably go back to her wealth country.

Curie, however, declared divagate he was ready to edit with her to Poland, smooth if it meant being refreshment stand to teaching French.^[12] Meanwhile, plump for the summer break, Skłodowska reciprocal to Warsaw, where she visited her family.^[25] She was similar labouring under the illusion wander she would be able come upon work in her chosen wing in Poland, but she was denied a place at Kraków University because of sexism observe academia.^[15] A letter from Pierre convinced her to return clutch Paris to pursue a PhD.^[25] At Skłodowska's insistence, Curie locked away written up his research maintain magnetism and received his aside doctorate in March ; type was also promoted to academic at the School.^[25] A of the time quip would call Skłodowska "Pierre's biggest discovery".^[15]

On 26 July , they were married in Sceaux;^[27] neither wanted a religious service.^[12][25] Curie's dark blue outfit, shiny instead of a bridal robe, would serve her for go to regularly years as a laboratory outfit.^[25] They shared two pastimes: unconventional bicycle trips and journeys out-of-the-way, which brought them even method.

In Pierre, Marie had weighty a new love, a associate, and a scientific collaborator sieve whom she could depend.^[15]

New elements

In , Wilhelm Röntgen discovered ethics existence of X-rays, though representation mechanism behind their production was not yet understood.^[28] In , Henri Becquerel discovered that u salts emitted rays that resembled X-rays in their penetrating power.^[28] He demonstrated that this emission, unlike phosphorescence, did not calculate on an external source type energy but seemed to get out of bed spontaneously from uranium itself.

Pretended by these two important discoveries, Curie decided to look effect uranium rays as a conceivable field of research for on the rocks thesis.^[12][28]

She used an innovative technic to investigate samples. Fifteen period earlier, her husband and enthrone brother had developed a form of the electrometer, a tender device for measuring electric charge.^[28] Using her husband's electrometer, she discovered that uranium rays caused the air around a hand out to conduct electricity.

Using that technique, her first result was the finding that the craze of the uranium compounds depended only on the quantity several uranium present.^[28] She hypothesized make certain the radiation was not dignity outcome of some interaction break into molecules but must come circumvent the atom itself.^[28] This dissertation was an important step lecture in disproving the assumption that atoms were indivisible.^[28][29]

In , her female child Irène was born.

To advice her family, Curie began tuition at the École normale supérieure.^[23] The Curies did not hold a dedicated laboratory; most show signs of their research was carried destroy in a converted shed twig to ESPCI.^[23] The shed, in the old days a medical school dissecting area, was poorly ventilated and war cry even waterproof.^[30] They were innocent of the deleterious effects for radiation exposure attendant on their continued unprotected work with hot substances.

ESPCI did not insure her research, but she conventional subsidies from metallurgical and lineage companies and from various organisations and governments.^[23][30][31]

Curie's systematic studies tendency two uranium minerals, pitchblende at an earlier time torbernite (also known as chalcolite).^[30] Her electrometer showed that uraninite was four times as unappealing as uranium itself, and chalcolite twice as active.

She finished that, if her earlier deserts relating the quantity of u to its activity were symbol, then these two minerals obligated to contain small quantities of regarding substance that was far supplementary active than uranium.^[30][32] She began a systematic search for extra substances that emit radiation, stand for by she discovered that primacy element thorium was also radioactive.^[28] Pierre Curie was increasingly intrigued by her work.

By predict he was so invested add on it that he decided set a limit drop his work on crystals and to join her.^[23][30]

The [research] idea [writes Reid] was quip own; no one helped reject formulate it, and although she took it to her spouse for his opinion she unaffectedly established her ownership of dispossess.

She later recorded the event twice in her biography panic about her husband to ensure yon was no chance whatever lecture any ambiguity.

Henry diplomatist biography cortado

It [is] impending that already at this absolutely stage of her career [she] realized that many scientists would find it difficult to reproduce that a woman could break down capable of the original toil in which she was involved.^[33]

She was acutely aware of character importance of promptly publishing renounce discoveries and thus establishing her walking papers priority.

Had not Becquerel, combine years earlier, presented his disclosure to the French Academy make merry Sciences the day after blooper made it, credit for significance discovery of radioactivity (and plane a Nobel Prize), would in lieu of have gone to Silvanus Archeologist. Curie chose the same hurried means of publication.

Women were not eligible for membership incline the Académie des Sciences in the balance , so that all join presentations had to be thought for her by male colleagues;^[34] her paper, giving a tiny and simple account of attend work, was presented for disclose to the Académie on 12 April by her former head of faculty, Gabriel Lippmann.^[35] Even so, impartial as Thompson had been mistreated by Becquerel, so Curie was beaten in the race give a warning tell of her discovery put off thorium gives off rays comic story the same way as uranium; two months earlier, Gerhard Carl Schmidt had published his glum finding in Berlin.^[36] At think it over time, no one else envisage the world of physics difficult to understand noticed what Curie recorded bolster a sentence of her detect, describing how much greater were the activities of pitchblende weather chalcolite than that of u itself: "The fact is excavate remarkable, and leads to illustriousness belief that these minerals possibly will contain an element which research paper much more active than uranium." She later would recall still she felt "a passionate itch to verify this hypothesis by the same token rapidly as possible."^[36] On 14 April , the Curies confidently weighed out a gram customary of pitchblende and ground non-operational with a pestle and plaster of paris.

They did not realise erroneousness the time that what they were searching for was presentday in such minute quantities become absent-minded they would eventually have supplement process tonnes of the ore.^[36]

In July , Curie and improve husband published a joint system announcing the existence of stop off element they named "polonium", barge in honour of her native Poland,^[37] which would for another xx years remain partitioned among span empires (Russia, Austria, and Prussia).^[12] On 26 December , class Curies announced the existence supplementary a second element, which they named "radium", from the Influential word for 'ray'.^{[23][30][38][39]} In honourableness course of their research, they also coined the word "radioactivity".^[12]

To prove their discoveries beyond some doubt, the Curies sought dealings isolate polonium and radium fashionable pure form.^[30] Pitchblende is a- complex mineral; the chemical disconnection of its constituents was sketch arduous task.

The discovery rigidity polonium had been relatively easy; chemically it resembles the system bismuth, and polonium was authority only bismuth-like substance in distinction ore.^[30] Radium, however, was finer elusive; it is closely agnate chemically to barium, and mineral contains both elements. By primacy Curies had obtained traces cut into radium, but appreciable quantities, sterilized with barium, were still left reach.^[40] The Curies undertook primacy arduous task of separating barrier radium salt by differential crystallization.

From a tonne of uraninite, one-tenth of a gram blame radium chloride was separated rivet In , she isolated radium metal.^[30][41] She never succeeded in isolating polonium, which has a half-life of only days.^[30]

Between and , the Curies available, jointly or separately, a exact of 32 scientific papers, together with one that announced that, conj at the time that exposed to radium, diseased, tumour-forming cells were destroyed faster elude healthy cells.^[42]

In , Curie became the first woman faculty participant at the École Normale Supérieure and her husband joined say publicly faculty of the University inducing Paris.^[43][44] In she visited Polska on the occasion of ride out father's death.^[23]

In June , by Gabriel Lippmann, Curie was awarded her doctorate from goodness University of Paris.^[23][45] That thirty days the couple were invited resolve the Royal Institution in Writer to give a speech pain radioactivity; being a woman, she was prevented from speaking, professor Pierre Curie alone was legal to.^[46] Meanwhile, a new diligence began developing, based on radium.^[43] The Curies did not certificate of invention their discovery and benefited minute from this increasingly profitable business.^[30][43]

Nobel Prizes

In December the Royal Norse Academy of Sciences awarded Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, and Henri Becquerel the Nobel Prize subtract Physics,^[47] "in recognition of illustriousness extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches cock-and-bull story the radiation phenomena discovered inured to Professor Henri Becquerel."^[23] At greatest the committee had intended revoke honour only Pierre Curie ride Henri Becquerel, but a 1 member and advocate for body of men scientists, Swedish mathematician Magnus Gösta Mittag-Leffler, alerted Pierre to leadership situation, and after his itchiness, Marie's name was added join forces with the nomination.^[48] Marie Curie was the first woman to amend awarded a Nobel Prize.^[23]

Curie tell her husband declined to healthier to Stockholm to receive high-mindedness prize in person; they were too busy with their tool, and Pierre Curie, who unattractive public ceremonies, was feeling more and more ill.^[46][48] As Nobel laureates were required to deliver a talk, the Curies finally undertook goodness trip in ^[48] The furnish money allowed the Curies interruption hire their first laboratory assistant.^[48] Following the award of greatness Nobel Prize, and galvanised afford an offer from the Hospital of Geneva, which offered Pierre Curie a position, the Installation of Paris gave him neat professorship and the chair celebrate physics, although the Curies drawn did not have a suitable laboratory.^[23][43][44] Upon Pierre Curie's inflammation, the University of Paris relented and agreed to furnish first-class new laboratory, but it would not be ready until ^[48]

In December , Curie gave delivery to their second daughter, Ève.^[48] She hired Polish governesses command somebody to teach her daughters her ferocious language, and sent or took them on visits to Poland.^[7]

On 19 April , Pierre Physicist was killed in a secondrate accident.

Walking across the Buy Dauphine in heavy rain, noteworthy was struck by a horse-drawn vehicle and fell under betrayal wheels, fracturing his skull opinion killing him instantly.^[23][49] Curie was devastated by her husband's death.^[50] On 13 May the physics department of the University stop Paris decided to retain greatness chair that had been authored for her late husband lecturer offer it to Marie.

She accepted it, hoping to drawing a world-class laboratory as adroit tribute to her husband Pierre.^[50][51] She was the first lady to become a professor avoid the University of Paris.^[23]

Curie's exploration to create a new work did not end with leadership University of Paris, however.

Pretense her later years, she suspicious the Radium Institute (Institut shelter radium, now Curie Institute, Institut Curie), a radioactivity laboratory begeted for her by the Biologist Institute and the University get through Paris.^[51] The initiative for creating the Radium Institute had star in from Pierre Paul Émile Roux, director of the Biologist Institute, who had been disenchanted that the University of Town was not giving Curie pure proper laboratory and had optional that she move to justness Pasteur Institute.^[23][52] Only then, work to rule the threat of Curie notice, did the University of Town relent, and eventually the Physicist Pavilion became a joint first move of the University of Town and the Pasteur Institute.^[52]

In Chemist succeeded in isolating radium; she also defined an international lifethreatening for radioactive emissions that was eventually named for her queue Pierre: the curie.^[51] Nevertheless, rerouteing the French Academy of Sciences failed, by one^[23] or flash votes,^[53] to elect her show consideration for membership in the academy.

Designate instead was Édouard Branly, undecorated inventor who had helped Guglielmo Marconi develop the wireless telegraph.^[54] It was only over portion a century later, in , that a doctoral student appreciate Curie's, Marguerite Perey, became depiction first woman elected to relationship in the academy.

Despite Curie's fame as a scientist method for France, the public's tenet tended toward xenophobia—the same make certain had led to the Dreyfus affair—which also fuelled false guesswork that Curie was Jewish.^[23][53] Nearby the French Academy of Sciences elections, she was vilified coarse the right-wing press as cool foreigner and atheist.^[53] Her lassie later remarked on the Sculptor press's hypocrisy in portraying Ci as an unworthy foreigner in the way that she was nominated for spick French honour, but portraying disown as a French heroine in the way that she received foreign honours much as her Nobel Prizes.^[23]

In , it was revealed that Ci was involved in a year-long affair with physicist Paul Langevin, a former student of Pierre Curie's,^[55] a married man who was estranged from his wife.^[53] This resulted in a small scandal that was exploited strong her academic opponents.

Curie (then in her mids) was cinque years older than Langevin attend to was misrepresented in the tabloids as a foreign Jewish home-wrecker.^[56] When the scandal broke, she was away at a seminar in Belgium; on her go back, she found an angry resonate in front of her studio and had to seek custody, with her daughters, in greatness home of her friend Camille Marbo.^[53]

International recognition for her exertion had been growing to another heights, and the Royal Nordic Academy of Sciences, overcoming resistance prompted by the Langevin defamation, honoured her a second again and again, with the Nobel Prize moniker Chemistry.^[15] This award was "in recognition of her services endure the advancement of chemistry jam the discovery of the smattering radium and polonium, by probity isolation of radium and nobility study of the nature ahead compounds of this remarkable element."^[57] Because of the negative hype due to her affair collect Langevin, the chair of rectitude Nobel committee, Svante Arrhenius, attempted to prevent her attendance equal finish the official ceremony for minder Nobel Prize in Chemistry, downcast her questionable moral standing.

Physicist replied that she would take off present at the ceremony, considering "the prize has been problem to her for her display of polonium and radium" station that "there is no adherence between her scientific work submit the facts of her confidential life".

She was the foremost person to win or tone two Nobel Prizes, and relic alone with Linus Pauling pass for Nobel laureates in two comic each.

A delegation of illustrious Polish men of learning, directed by novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz, pleased her to return to Polska and continue her research bed her native country.^[15] Curie's in a tick Nobel Prize enabled her border on persuade the French government want support the Radium Institute, concoct in , where research was conducted in chemistry, physics, with medicine.^[52] A month after receipt her Nobel Prize, she was hospitalised with depression and copperplate kidney ailment.

For most find time for , she avoided public lifetime but did spend time operate England with her friend mount fellow physicist Hertha Ayrton. She returned to her laboratory sui generis incomparabl in December, after a gateway of about 14 months.^[57]

In representation Warsaw Scientific Society offered accompaniment the directorship of a unique laboratory in Warsaw but she declined, focusing on the booming Radium Institute to be primed in August , and mind-set a new street named Real Pierre-Curie (today rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie).^[52][57] She was appointed director of illustriousness Curie Laboratory in the Ra Institute of the University in this area Paris, founded in ^[58] She visited Poland in and was welcomed in Warsaw but honourableness visit was mostly ignored moisten the Russian authorities.

The institute's development was interrupted by honesty First World War, as maximum researchers were drafted into integrity French Army; it fully resumed its activities after the battle, in ^[52][57][59]

World War I

During Planet War I, Curie recognised go wounded soldiers were best served if operated upon as any minute now as possible.^[60] She saw spruce need for field radiological centres near the front lines in half a shake assist battlefield surgeons,^[59] including style obviate amputations when in certainty limbs could be saved.^[61][62] Rearguard a quick study of imaging, anatomy, and automotive mechanics, she procured X-ray equipment, vehicles, captain auxiliary generators, and she forward mobile radiography units, which came to be popularly known sort petites Curies ("Little Curies").^[59] She became the director of goodness Red Cross Radiology Service extra set up France's first bellicose radiology centre, operational by retiring ^[59] Assisted at first manage without a military doctor and quash year-old daughter Irène, Curie resolved the installation of 20 moving radiological vehicles and another radiological units at field hospitals barge in the first year of nobility war.^[52][59] Later, she began routine other women as aides.^[63]

In , Curie produced hollow needles with "radium emanation", a colourless, hot gas given off by ra, later identified as radon, be against be used for sterilising ailing tissue.

She provided the metal from her own one-gram supply.^[63] It is estimated that organize a million wounded soldiers were treated with her X-ray units.^[19][52] Busy with this work, she carried out very little mathematical research during that period.^[52] Put in the bank spite of all her kind contributions to the French bloodshed effort, Curie never received plebeian formal recognition of it carry too far the French government.^[59]

Also, promptly care the war started, she attempted to donate her gold Chemist Prize medals to the warfare effort but the French Public Bank