Biographical Sketch of Marie Curie: Maria Sklodowska was born in Warsaw, Poland on November 7, 1867 to Władysław and Bronisława Skłodowsk; she was the youngest of five children. Born into a family bereaved by the ravages of supporting the losing side in a nationalistic revolution, Maria's young life was financially difficult but rich in family community. Unlike the lauded Einstein, Maria's intelligence was evident early on in her academic life. Her success in the classroom and her families politics granted her access to Flying University. The Flying University was an underground academic society established for the education of Polish youth. Set up to counter the anti academic culture forced on the Polish people from the Russian Empire, it existed as the only real university in Warsaw for years. Further education would eventually lead Maria to the University of Paris in France. There she would meet her husband, Pierre Curie and become Marie Curie. Together the Curies began experimenting in isolating radioactive isotopes leading to the discovery of Radium and Polonium. Though Pierre was killed in a tragic Parisan street car accident, Marie would continue the work. In 1911, Marie Curie was awarded the Noble Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of new elements for the periodic table. This work took its toll however. Consistent and sustained exposure to the radioactive Radium and Polonium isotopes cut her life short. Marie Curie died in 1934 from aplastic anemia. Her work was groundbreaking for its time; little, if any, knowledge existed in terms of the dangers of radiation.
Bibliography:
Ethridge, Maggie May. Marie Curie : Radioactivity Pioneer and the First Woman to Win a Nobel Prize. New York, NY: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC, 2016. Accessed February 8, 2021.
Wilson, Rachel E., Amber R. Jarrard, and Deborah J. Tippins. "The Gendering of Albert Einstein and Marie Curie in children’s Biographies: Some Tensions." Cultural Studies of Science Education 4, no. 4 (2009): 945-950.
Wirtén, Eva Hemmungs. "The Pasteurization of Marie Curie: A (meta)biographical Experiment." Social Studies of Science 45, no. 4 (2015): 597-610. Accessed February 8, 2021.