TheLegendofMarieCurieLiyuanyuan2013212062
ContentsBiography1.Legacy2.Awards,honours,andtributes3.
MariaSkłodowskawasborninWarsaw,intheRussianpartitionofPoland,on7November1867,asthefifthandyoungestchildofwell-knownteachersBronisława,néeBoguska,andWładysławSkłodowski.Onboththepaternalandmaternalsides,thefamilyhadlosttheirpropertyandfortunesthroughpatrioticinvolvementsinPolishnationaluprisingsaimedatrestoringPoland'sindependence.Thiscondemnedthesubsequentgeneration,includingMaria,hereldersistersandherbrother,toadifficultstruggletogetaheadinlife.Biography
Whenshewastenyearsold,MariabeganattendingtheboardingschoolofJ.Sikorska;nextsheattendedagymnasiumforgirls,fromwhichshegraduatedon12June1883withagoldmedal.Unabletoenrollinaregularinstitutionofhighereducationbecauseshewasawoman,sheandhersisterBronisławabecameinvolvedwiththeclandestineFlyingUniversity,aPolishpatrioticinstitutionofhigherlearningthatadmittedwomenstudents.
Whileworkingforthelatterfamily,shefellinlovewiththeirson,KazimierzŻorawski,afutureeminentmathematician.Hisparentsrejectedtheideaofhismarryingthepennilessrelative,andKazimierzwasunabletoopposethem.Maria'slossoftherelationshipwithŻorawskiwastragicforboth.Hesoonearnedadoctorateandpursuedanacademiccareerasamathematician,becomingaprofessorandrectorofKrakówUniversity.Still,asanoldmanandamathematicsprofessorattheWarsawPolytechnic,hewouldsitcontemplativelybeforethestatueofMariaSkłodowskawhichhadbeenerectedin1935beforetheRadiumInstitutethatshehadfoundedin1932.
1Inlate1891,sheleftPolandforFrance.Here,Mariaproceededwithherstudiesofphysics,chemistry,andmathematicsattheUniversityofParis,wheresheenrolledinlate1891.Sheearnedaseconddegreein1894.MariehadbegunherscientificcareerinPariswithaninvestigationofthemagneticpropertiesofvarioussteels,commissionedbyTheSocietyfortheEncouragementofNationalIndustry.ThatsameyearPierreCurieenteredherlife.
Theirmutualpassionforsciencebroughtthemincreasinglycloser,andtheybegantodevelopfeelingsforoneanother.On26July1895theyweremarriedinSceaux(Seine);neitherwantedareligiousservice.Marie'sdarkblueoutfit,worninsteadofabridalgown,wouldserveherformanyyearsasalaboratoryoutfit.Theysharedtwopastimes:longbicycletrips,andjourneysabroad,whichbroughtthemevencloser.InPierre,Mariehadfoundanewlove,apartner,andascientificcollaboratoronwhomshecoulddepend.
In1897,herdaughterIrènewasborn.InJuly1898,Curieandherhusbandpublishedajointpaperannouncingtheexistenceofanelementwhichtheynamed"polonium",inhonourofhernativePoland,whichwouldforanothertwentyyearsremainpartitionedamongthreeempires.On26December1898,theCuriesannouncedtheexistenceofasecondelement,whichtheynamed"radium",fromtheLatinwordfor"ray".Inthecourseoftheirresearch,theyalsocoinedtheword"radioactivity".
Between1898and1902,theCuriespublished,jointlyorseparately,atotalof32scientificpapers,includingonethatannouncedthat,whenexposedtoradium,diseased,tumor-formingcellsweredestroyedfasterthanhealthycells.InDecember1903,theRoyalSwedishAcademyofSciencesawardedPierreCurie,MarieCurie,andHenriBecquereltheNobelPrizeinPhysics.InDecember1904,Curiegavebirthtotheirseconddaughter,Ève.On19April1906,Pierrewaskilledinaroadaccident.In1910Curiesucceededinisolatingradium;shealsodefinedaninternationalstandardforradioactiveemissionsthatwaseventuallynamedforherandPierre:thecurie.
In1911itwasrevealedthatin1910–11Curiehadconductedanaffairofaboutayear'sdurationwithphysicistPaulLangevin,aformerstudentofPierre's—amarriedmanwhowasestrangedfromhiswife.Thisresultedinapressscandalthatwasexploitedbyheracademicopponents.Curie(theninhermid-40s)wasfiveyearsolderthanLangevinandwasmisrepresentedinthetabloidsasaforeignJewishhome-wrecker.Whenthescandalbroke,shewasawayataconferenceinBelgium;onherreturn,shefoundanangrymobinfrontofherhouseandhadtoseekrefuge,withherdaughters,inthehomeofafriend.
Internationalrecognitionforherworkhadbeengrowingtonewheights,andtheRoyalSwedishAcademyofSciences,overcomingoppositionpromptedbytheLangevinscandal,honoredherasecondtime,withthe1911NobelPrizeinChemistry.Thisawardwas"inrecognitionofherservicestotheadvancementofchemistrybythediscoveryoftheelementsradiumandpolonium,bytheisolationofradiumandthestudyofthenatureandcompoundsofthisremarkableelement."ShewasthefirstpersontowinorsharetwoNobelPrizes.
CurievisitedPolandforthelasttimeinearly1934.Afewmonthslater,on4July1934,shediedattheSancellemozSanatoriuminPassy,inHaute-Savoie,fromaplasticanemiabelievedtohavebeencontractedfromherlong-termexposuretoradiation.ShewasinterredatthecemeteryinSceaux,alongsideherhusbandPierre.Sixtyyearslater,in1995,inhonouroftheirachievements,theremainsofbothweretransferredtothePanthéon,Paris.ShebecamethefirstwomantobehonouredwithintermentinthePanthéononherownmerits.In2015,twootherwomenwerealsointerredontheirownmerits.
LegacyIfCurie'sworkhelpedoverturnestablishedideasinphysicsandchemistry,ithashadanequallyprofoundeffectinthesocietalsphere.Toattainherscientificachievements,shehadtoovercomebarriersthatwereplacedinherwaybecauseshewasawoman,inbothhernativeandheradoptivecountry.ThisaspectofherlifeandcareerishighlightedinFrançoiseGiroud'sMarieCurie:ALife,whichemphasizesMarie'sroleasafeministprecursor.
Awards,honours,andtributesAsoneofthemostfamousfemalescientiststodate,MarieCuriehasbecomeaniconinthescientificworldandhasreceivedtributesfromacrosstheglobe,evenintherealmofpopculture.Ina2009pollcarriedoutbyNewScientist,MarieCuriewasvotedthe"mostinspirationalwomaninscience".PolandandFrancedeclared2011theYearofMarieCurie,andtheUnitedNationsdeclaredthatthiswouldbetheInternationalYearofChemistry.Anartisticinstallationcelebrating"MadameCurie"filledtheJacobsGalleryatSanDiego'sMuseumofContemporaryArt.
Mayyouhaveextraordinaryachievementsinthefuture.MerryChristmas!Thankyou!