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Marie Curie Biography

Inventor of Study Of Radioactivity, Polonium And Radium

Posted on December 3, 2010 by , with 9814 views

Marie Curie

Marie Sklodowska Curie, is a winner of noble prize in physics and chemistry. The world knows Madam Curie for her contribution in the field of science. She along with her husband Pierre Curie discovered two elements - Radium and Polonium. They also discovered that the X-rays generated from new discovered elements also had the strength to destroy the tumors. This discovery turned out to be very useful in the field of medical science. For this invention, Madam Curie along with her husband Pierre received a noble prize. Her pioneering work in the field of radioactive earned her two noble prizes in both chemistry as well as physics.

She was born on November 7, 1867 in a small town named Warsaw in Poland. She was the youngest child in the family of five children. Her mother was a pianist and singer and her father was a professor of physics and mathematics. She spent most of her childhood in Poland. She had an extraordinary memory was good in her studies and at the age of 16, she won a gold medal on completing secondary education at Russian Lycée.

She had to work as a teacher, as her father lost his savings in course of a bad investment. She spent first 24 years of her entire life in Poland. In 1981, she moved to Bronisawa in Paris, where she continued her further studies. There she conducted her research and scientific work. She worked day and night with her husband in the laboratory. Their tremendous hard work showed the result in the summer of 1898, when they discovered Polonium. After some time, they discovered Radium. In the year 1903, Curie received her doctorate of science for her research in Radium. She studied how to obtain pure Radium in metallic state.

In the year 1906 on April 19, Pierre died in a street accident. A horse drawn vehicle had struck him and had fractured his skull. It was contemplated that he might have become weak by long exposure to radiation. Curie was very disturbed and distressed by his death. In the year 1906 on May 13 due to the death of her husband, they named Madam Curie as the head of the laboratory and they gave her full charge. Thus, she became the first lady professor at the Sorbonne University.

In World War, Marie Curie recommended the use of mobile radiography units for the treatment of injured soldiers. Tubes of radium emanation, which is a radioactive colorless gas, powered these units, which at present are popular as radon. Then in 1921, she visited United States of America to do further research in Radium and to raise funds

She psent her later years in Poland as a philanthropist. Madam Curie last visited Poland in 1934 in spring. After few months in the year 1934 on July 4, the endowed scientist passed away in Passy, France. It was speculated that she was suffering form anemia, which she had contracted due to high exposure to radiation. Madam Curie had French citizenship although she was born in Poland. Polonium was named after her country Poland.

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