Marie
Curie
Greatest
Female
Scientist
By Norman Hill
M
arie Curie is considered
to be the greatest female
scientist, and perhaps
even more significant,
the most inspirational
female scientist.
Her achievements include being the
first female to win a Nobel Prize, the
first person to win two Nobel Prizes,
the only woman to win prestigious
awards in two fields, and the only
person to win such awards in
multiple sciences
Her scientific achievements include
formulation of a scientific theory
of radioactivity. This involved
techniques for isolating radioactive
isotopes. She isolated two hitherto
unknown elements, polonium in 1898
and pure metallic radium in 1910.
Curie was born in Poland in 1867.
This was a turbulent and difficult
period for the people of Poland, who
had been deprived of their political
identity and freedom for nearly
a century. Her family lost most
of its wealth, due partly to bad
investments and partly due to
connections with groups advocating
Polish independence.
112
Curie, under her maiden name, Marie
Sklodowska, followed her older
sister to Paris in 1891. She
eventually became a French citizen
and resident, although she remained
devoted to the country of her birth.
She lived to see Poland restored as a
sovereign nation after World War I.
Perhaps just as well, her 1934 death
spared her from witnessing the
ravaging of Poland by Hitler during
World War II.
Curie received a degree in physics
from the University of Paris in 1893.
This was followed by her second
degree in 1894. Around 1894, she
met a young Frenchman, Pierre Curie.
Their shared interest in natural