Marie Curie : The Life of a Legend

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.
-Marie Curie


    Day in and day out, a scientist toiled at a desk filled with curious instruments. Here, she will be discovering a new element. This scientist was Marie Curie, one of the most famous and beloved female scientists. She was a distinguished pioneer in the study of radioactivity. From becoming a professor to discovering Polonium and Radium, the world we live in wouldn’t be as progressive as it is today if not for Marie Curie.
   Marie Curie's life was never easy. Born as Maria Sklodowska in Warsaw, Poland, on November 7, 1867, her mother and sister died when Maria was very little. Her parents were both teachers, and they encouraged her to learn as much as she could. This was hard, though, with the Soviet Regime looming over the schools. 
   Maria was very intelligent, and she took the role of a governess when she was 17, teaching in children's homes. However, she wanted to go for higher goals and applied to study at the Sorbonne university in 1891. She was accepted! There, she studied physics and chemistry. Many men doubted her abilities since she was a woman, but she carried on. One man deeply admired her skill and wit. His name was Pierre Curie, and he and Marie fell in love and were married on July 26, 1895.
   Marie Curie had many outstanding discoveries. Along with Pierre, Marie discovered a new, radioactive element derived from uranium. She called it Radium. Later, she would discover another, Polonium. She was a great pioneer in the study of radioactivity and won two Nobel prizes for her contributions to science along with Pierre. However, working with radioactive elements have side effects. Marie died of radiation-related sickness in 1934, 28 years after Pierre curie's death. Pierre got hit by a carriage wheel in 1906, passing away immediately. At the times of their deaths, Marie was 66 and Pierre was 46. The pair made great contributions and advanced humanity with their research. 
   If not for Marie Curie, we wouldn’t have many devices that we have today. She was an amazing scientist and truly pushed the world forward.
Despite a hard childhood, Marie was able to get a solid education despite prejudice and political hardships and was able to make great progressions for humanity. Science wouldn’t be the same without her.