Marie Curie

Biography

Born with Warsaw where his/her father is teaching, it loses in the two years space her Sofia sister, deceased of the Typhus in January 1876, and its mother, deceased of the Tuberculose, on May 9th 1878. It takes refuge then in the studies and excels in all the matters, where the maximum note is granted to him. It thus obtains its diploma of end of secondary studies with the gold medal in 1883.

The Faculty of Science of Paris

At that time, Warsaw is annexed by Russia, and the access to the university is interdict with the women. Marie leaves in November 1891 for Paris, where it was accepted to follow there studies in physical sciences and mathematics to the Faculty of Science. Two years later, in July, it obtains its license physical be-sciences, while being first of its promotion, and a year later its license mathematical be-sciences, while being second. It joined then the Laboratory of the physical searchs for Gabriel Lippmann.

In spring 1894, it meets Pierre Curie, which it marries with Sceaux, on July 26th 1895. In 1896, it is received first with the aggregation of physics. September 12th 1897, it gives birth to their first daughter, Irene.

Polonium and radium

In December 1897, it begins its work of thesis on the study of the radiations produced by uranium, discovered by Henri Becquerel. By using the techniques developped at the point by her husband, it analyzes the radiations of an ore high-grade in uranium, the Pechblende.

In 1898, Pierre leaves side his work on the Piézoélectricité to join his wife on her study of the radioactivity. It obtains the authorization of the principal of physics and chemistry (become today the University of industrial physics and chemistry of the town of Paris) to use a workshop at the ground floor. The chemical treatments are carried out in a hangar, which is beside the workshop, separate only by one court.

In this laboratory of fortune where they study pitchblende, they discover two new elements. July 18th, 1898, Marie Curie announces the discovery of the Polonium, named thus in reference to her country of origin. December 26th, with Gustave Bémont, she announces the discovery of the Radium; it will have been necessary to treat several tons of pitchblende to obtain less than one gram of this element. These extractions, made starting from tons of ore, are carried out under difficult conditions, buildings deprived of any comfort. The German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald, visiting the work place of Pierre and Marie Curie, declares: This laboratory was due at the same time of the cattle shed and the hangar to potatoes. If I had not seen apparatuses of chemistry there, I would have believed that one made fun of me .

October 26th 1900, it becomes professor with the National university of young girls of Sevres. During the year 1903, it supports on June 25th its thesis on radioactive substances. December 10th, it receives with her husband and Henri Becquerel, the Nobel Prize of physics “in recognition of their services rendered, by their common research on the phenomenon of radiations discovered by professor Henri Becquerel”. It is the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize. This same year, it is the first woman prize winner of the Davy Médaille.

The following year, it receives the Matteucci medal and gives birth on December 6th to their second daughter, Eve.

April 19th 1906, Pierre dies, reversed accidentally by a horse-drawn carriage. In November, it replaces it at its post of professor in the Sorbonne. It becomes thus the first woman to be taught in this university. In 1909, it is named full professor in his pulpit of general physics, then of general physics and radioactivity

December 10th 1911, it receives its second Nobel Prize, “in recognition of the services for the advance of chemistry by the discovery of new elements: radium and polonium, by the study of their nature and their compounds”. It is the first nobody to obtain two Nobel Prize for its scientific work. Second is Linus Pauling, which received the first for its scientific work in chemistry in 1954 and the second for his action in favor of peace in 1962.

It takes part in the first Congrès Solvay in 1911, which brings together many physicists, such as max Planck, Albert Einstein and Ernest Rutherford, which will change our way of perceiving the world. It is the only woman of this Congress, organized and financed by the chemist and industrial Belgian, Ernest Solvay.

The Institute of Radium

End 1909, the professor Red-headed Emile, director of the Institute Pasteur, proposes the creation of an Institute of the Radium, dedicated to the medical research against cancer and its treatment by Radiothérapie. In spite of the notoriety of Marie Curie and its Nobel Prize, it is necessary to await 1911 so that work starts, subsidized by Daniel Iffla-Osiris. The Institute, located Street of Ulm, is completed in 1914, right before the First World War. It joins together two laboratories with complementary competences: the physics laboratory and of chemistry, directed by Marie Curie, and the Pasteur laboratory, centered on the Radiotherapy, directed by Claudius Régaud.

small Curiae

When the war bursts, Marie Curie is mobilized, just like the other members of the Institute of Radium. In the sides of Antoine Béclère, director of the radiological service of the armies, it takes part in the design of mobile surgical units. It also creates eighteen cars of radiology, called the “small Curia”, which are sent on the face. At the Institute of Radium, it forms of the assistance radiologists.

In 1916, it obtains its driving license and regularly leaves on the face to carry out radiographies. Irene, old of only eighteen years, makes in the same way in several hospitals of countryside during all the war.

In 1918, at the end of the war, it can finally occupy its station at the Institute of Radium. His/her Irene daughter becomes her assistant. The Institute of radium will become later the Institut Curie.

A symbol of feminism

May 20th 1921, at the time of its first voyage to the the United States, it can buy one gram of radium to the factory of the radium of Pittsburgh, following a collection of 100.000 dollars (approximately 1 franc million gold) near the American women, organized by the journalist Marie Mattingly Meloney. In 1929, always thanks to the American women, it receives a new gram of radium, of which it makes gift with the Université of Warsaw.

Following a too great exposure to the radioactive elements, it is reached of a Leucémie and it is sent to the Sanatorium of Sancellemoz in Haute-Savoie in 1934. In spite of its weakness, it continues to ensure the direction of the section of physics and chemistry of the Institute of Radium until its death.

Homages

April 20th 1995, on decision of the president François Mitterrand, his ashes and those of her husband Pierre Curie are transferred to the the Pantheon from Paris. It is today still the only woman honoured in the Pantheon for her work.

Within the Institute Curie in Paris, a Museum Curie was built in the same buildings where the erudite one worked until its death. Entirely free, he proposes with the public to discover a scientific rich person inheritance and recalls, through the personal and professional courses of the family to the five Nobel Prize, the great stages of the history of the radioactivity and the fight against cancer. Other homages were organized in its memory:

Of the tickets of 500 frank French and 20.000 Polish Złoty was made with the effigy of Marie Curie.
a part of 100 francs to its effigy.
on March 8th, 2007, the Parisian subway station Pierre Curie was renamed Pierre and Marie Curie .
has Poitiers, an university residence bears its name, close to a street which also bears its name.
the University Paris 6, in France, bears the name of University Pierre and Marie Curie.
the public university of Lublin, in Poland, bears the name of University Maria Curie-Skłodowska. Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej W Lublinie .
the atomic element 96, discovered in 1944, was baptized Curium in the honor of Pierre and Marie Curie.
Lastly, the Marie Curie Fellowship Association is a supplementary programme to geographical mobility for the young European researchers .
In 2006, the Monnaie of Paris emits 500 coins of 20€ but, (rare for collector).

With the theater and the cinema

In 1989, the life and the work of Pierre and Marie Curie inspire a play, the Palms of Mr Schutz , created by Jean-Christmas Fenwick with the Theater of Mathurins. This part receives four Molières in 1990, of which those of the better director and the better author.

The life of Marie Curie inspired several scenario writers. The part of Marie Curie was played by:

Greer Garson in Mrs Curie , American film of Mervyn LeRoy left in 1943;
Nicole Stephan in Mister and Mrs Curie , film French of Georges Franju left in 1953;
Olga Gobzeva in Mysli O radiatsii ( Thought of radiation ), Soviet film of Elmira Chormanova left in 1980;
Marie-Christine Barrault in Marie Curie, a honourable woman , realization of Michel Boisrond, 1990
Isabelle Huppert in Palms of Mr. Schutz , film French of Claude Pinoteau left in 1997.

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