MARIE & PIERRE CURIE

MARIE

• Born on November 7th, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland.
• Her parents were both teachers and she was the youngest of five children.
• She mainly studied physics, chemistry, and math.
• She continued her education in Warsaw's "floating univeristy."
• The "floating university" is a set of underground, informal classes held in secret.

MARIE

• She worked as a tutor & governess.
• Eventually, she enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris.
• She completely her master's degree in physics, in 1893.
• She earned another degree in mathematics the following year.
• Died on July 4, 1934 of aplastic anemia, which can be caused by exposure to radiation.

PIERRE

• Born in Paris, France May 15th, 1869.
• Educated at home by his father who was a general medical practitioner.
• Showed a strong aptitude for mathematics and geometry.
• He has an older brother, Jacques.
• He didn't immediately pursue his doctorate, but worked as a laboratory instructor.

PIERRE

• He entered the Faculty of Sciences at the Sorbonne.
• Gained his Licenciateship in Physics in 1878.
• He obtained his Doctor of Science degree & was appointed Professor of Physics.
• In 1900, he was promoted to Professor in Faculty of Sciences & became Titular Professor in 1904.
• Died on April 19, 1906 as a result of a carriage accident in a rainstorm.

THE CURIES'

• Marie & Pierre were dedicated scientists & completely devoted to one another.
• After earning her degrees, Marie received a commission to do a study on steel.
• She needed a lab to work in & a colleague introduced her to Pierre.
• The romance sparked & they became the a scientific dynamic duo.
• Their children: Irène Joliot-Curie & Ève Curie

THE CURIES' & THEIR DISCOVERIES

• Marie herself discovered that uranium rays remain constant.
• This idea created atomic physics, and she named it radioactivity.
• Pierre put aside his own work to help Marie explore radioactivity.
• Together, they discovered the radioactive elements polonium and radium.
• They share a noble prize & Marie has her own.