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She was born November 7, 1867 in Poland. When she died on
July 4, 1934, she was perhaps the best known woman in the world. Her co-discovery
with her husband Pierre Curie of the radioactive elements radium and polonium
represents one of the best known stories in modern science for which they
were recognized in 1901 with the Nobel Prize in Physics. After the sudden
accidental death of Pierre Curie, Marie Curie managed to raise her two
small daughters (Irène, who was herself awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
in 1935, and Eve who became an accomplished author) and continue an active
career in experimental radioactivity measurements. In this account we concentrate
on her connections to the national radium standards of the United States.
More details on the life of this extraordinary scientist are given in "Madame
Curie," the 1937 book by Eve Curie. |
