居里夫人
MarieCurie,néeMariaSklodowska,wasborninWarsawonNovember7,1867,thedaughterofasecondary-schoolteacher.Shereceivedageneraleducationinlocalschoolsandsomescientifictrainingfromherfather.Shebecameinvolvedinastudents'revolutionaryorganizationandfounditprudenttoleaveWarsaw,theninthepartofPolanddominatedbyRussia,forCracow,whichatthattimewasunderAustrianrule.In1891,shewenttoParistocontinueherstudiesattheSorbonnewheresheobtainedLicenciateshipsinPhysicsandtheMathematicalSciences.ShemetPierreCurie,ProfessorintheSchoolofPhysics,in1894andinthefollowingyeartheyweremarried.ShesucceededherhusbandasHeadofthePhysicsLaboratoryattheSorbonne,gainedherDoctorofSciencedegreein1903,andfollowingthetragicdeathofPierreCuriein1906,shetookhisplaceasProfessorofGeneralPhysicsintheFacultyofSciences,thefirsttimeawomanhadheldthisposition.ShewasalsoappointedDirectoroftheCurieLaboratoryintheRadiumInstituteoftheUniversityofParis,foundedin1914.
Herearlyresearches,togetherwithherhusband,wereoftenperformedunderdifficultconditions,laboratoryarrangementswerepoorandbothhadtoundertakemuchteachingtoearnalivelihood.ThediscoveryofradioactivitybyHenriBecquerelin1896inspiredtheCuriesintheirbrilliantresearchesandanalyseswhichledtotheisolationofpolonium,namedafterthecountryofMarie'sbirth,andradium.Mme.Curiedevelopedmethodsfortheseparationofradiumfromradioactiveresiduesinsufficientquantitiestoallowforitscharacterizationandthecarefulstudyofitsproperties,therapeuticpropertiesinparticular.
Mme.CuriethroughoutherlifeactivelypromotedtheuseofradiumtoalleviatesufferingandduringWorldWarI,assistedbyherdaughter,Iréne,shepersonallydevotedherselftothisremedialwork.Sheretainedherenthusiasmforsciencethroughoutherlifeanddidmuchtoestablisharadioactivitylaboratoryinhernativecity-in1929PresidentHooveroftheUnitedStatespresentedherwithagiftof$50,000donatedbyAmericanfriendsofscience,topurchaseradiumforuseinthelaboratoryinWarsaw.
Mme.Curie,quiet,dignifiedandunassuming,washeldinhighesteemandadmirationbyscientiststhroughouttheworld.ShewasamemberoftheConseilduPhysiqueSolvayfrom1911untilherdeathandsince1922shehadbeenamemberoftheCommitteeofIntellectualCo-operationoftheLeagueofNations.HerworkisrecordedinnumerouspapersinscientificjournalsandsheistheauthorofRecherchessurlesSubstancesRadioactives(Investigationsonradioactivesubstances)(1904),L'IsotopieetlesElémentsIsotopes(Isotopyandisotopicelements)andtheclassicTraitéderadioactivité(Treatiseonradioactivity)(1910).
TheimportanceofMme.Curie'sworkisreflectedinthenumerousawardsbestowedonher.Shereceivedmanyhonoraryscience,medicineandlawdegreesandhonorarymembershipsoflearnedsocietiesthroughouttheworld.Togetherwithherhusband,shewasawardedhalfoftheNobelPrizeforPhysicsin1903,fortheirstudyintothespontaneousradiationdiscoveredbyBecquerel,whowasawardedtheotherhalfofthePrize.In1911shereceivedasecondNobelPrize,thistimeinChemistry,inrecognitionofherworkinradioactivity.Shealsoreceived,jointlywithherhusband,theDavyMedaloftheRoyalSocietyin1903and,in1921,PresidentHardingoftheUnitedStates,onbehalfofthewomenofAmerica,presentedherwithonegramofradiuminrecognitionofherservicetoscience.
