MARIE SKLODOWSKA CURIE opened up the science of radioactivity. She is best known as the discoverer of the radioactive elements polonium and radium and as the first person to win two Nobel prizes. For scientists and the public, her radium was a key to a basic change in our understanding of matter and energy. Her work not only influenced the development of fundamental science but also ushered in a new era in medical research and treatment.
This exhibit is brought to you by the Center for History of Physics, a division of the American Institute of Physics. The text version covers only the main exhibit, not the "In Brief" version. Material on this site is copyright © 2000 American Institute of Physics and Naomi Pasachoff, and is based on the book "Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity" by Naomi Pasachoff, Oxford University Press, copyright © 1996 by Naomi Pasachoff.
Polish Girlhood (1867-1891)
A Student in Paris (1891-1897)
Research Breakthroughs (1897-1904)
Recognition and Disapointment (1903-1905)
Tragedy and Adjustment (1906-1910)
Scandal and Recovery (1910-1913)
War Duty (1914-1919)
The Radium Institute (1919-1934)
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