Maria Salomee Sklodowska
Born November 7th 1867
Marie Sklodowska (name before she got married) was born on
November 7th in Warsaw, Poland. At the time, Russia ruled that part
of the country. She was the youngest of five children- three older
sisters and one older brother with a mother and a father. Marie was
just four years old when her sisters taught her the alphabet and
learned how to read.
Marie’s Family
Marie had an interesting father. He was a professor. Marie’s
family was always moving place to place, house to hotel. Once,
they had to share a room with ten other boys!
Marie’s Mother
When Marie was ten years old, her poor mother became
very sick. She had a disease called tuberculosis, and back
then there was no medicine for the disease. Marie’s mother
died.
Intelligent Marie
Even though her mother died, life continued. At age 16,
Marie won a gold medal on for being such a great student
at her high school Russian lycee. Her father knew how hard
she worked and rewarded her by visiting their cousins out
in the country. Marie was pleased.
Working For Money
When Marie returned back to her home in Warsaw, she was
determine to continue her studies. Unfortunately, Marie’s father
had lost lots of money to a bad investment. How would 18 year
old Marie get enough money to go to college? Her sister, also
wanting to go to college, worked out a plan. They did private
tutoring sessions. Still with not enough money, her sister
became a doctor to get money for Marie and Marie promised
she would soon return the favor which she did.
Marie The Governess
Marie became a Governess to a family way out in the
country. While she was out there, Marie also had the
opportunity to help other peasant children who didn’t have
enough money to go to school to learn to read and write.
In Love
While Marie was working as a Governess, she fell in love
with the employers son. Unfortunately, his parents didn’t
think her family was rich enough. Crossed, Marie decided to
move to Paris and live with her sister.
Marie In Paris
When she went to live with her sister, she began her studies again.
Before she went to Paris, her real name was actually Manya, and that’s
what all family and friends called her. In France, she change her name
into her French name, Marie. She went to a university called Sorbonne,
where she studied mathematics and physics. In college she barely had
any food and lived in a cold apartment. But when Marie graduated, she
had the highest grades and got her master degree in physics. She was
rewarded a scholarship and studied more in mathematics. She later
received a doctorate in physic’s.
Marie’s Husband
In Paris, she met Pierre Curie. They married in 1895. From
then on, she was called Marie Curie. For their honeymoon,
Marie bought two bicycles for her and Pierre with the
money her cousin gave her for a wedding present.
A New Discovery
Marie and Pierre each were good at physics. Together, they discovered
two new radio elements. One of the elements she name polonium in
honor of Poland and the other she named radium. Each Marie and Pierre
worked for four years to prove there was such thing as the two elements
they discovered. Some of the important chemicals they used were
pitchblende (a mixture of mineral uraninte) and uranium ore (uranium is
heavy silvery white radioactive element used to help radios and used in
weapons.) Uranium ore is hard to get, but that didn’t stop Marie from
getting her goal. She got permission from the Australian Government to
use their uranium ore. All the government had to do was pay for
shipping.
Nobel Prize Award
In 1903, Pierre, Marie, and Henry Becquerel each received
the Nobel prize award for their discovery of radioactivity.
Marie used the money to help her family and friends. Marie
didn’t stop there! In 1911, she was rewarded for a second
time the Nobel Prize for her and Pierre’s discovery of the
two radio elements, polonium and radium.
The Curie’s Family
The Curies had two daughter- Irene and Eve. They loved
their kids very much. Pierre was got a job as a professor at
Sorbonne. With a nice husband and wonderful kids, what
could go wrong?
Poor Pierre
Lots of things went wrong. Poor Pierre stepped in front of a
horse-drawn wagon and was killed. Marie was in tears.
Pierre has always been their for her, and she couldn’t
imagine it any other way. Pierre’s dad came to help raise
the daughter, but unfortunately died four years later leaving
Marie alone with the rest of her family.
The First World War
During the first World War, Marie wanted to help. She
decided the best way to serve would be designing an xray that could move like a car to the battlefield’s
hospitals. Bullets and shrapnel (shrapnel means pieces of
the bullets that were inside the wounded soldier) could be
located in this high-tech x-ray to help the doctor cured
the patient. Marie’s daughter, Irene, who was seventeen
years olds at the time helped her mother by becoming a
nurse and helping her on the battlefield. Marie trained
150 women to become x-rays technicians.
Marie’s Money
In 1923, the government gave her a pension that paid
40,000 francs a year! They gave it to her to show Marie
they respected her work she did in France. Marie was
pleased.
Marie’s Death
On July 4th, 1934, Marie became ill and died from all her
times working with the radium. Today, doctors figured out
she actually died from a cancer we know as leukemia. After
Maries death, though, Irene and her husband Fredrick Joilot
receive a Nobel prize award in their research they did in
atomics'. Irene followed her mothers footsteps and became
a great scientist.
Maria Salomee Curie
1867-1923
Credits
Created by: Nikki
http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdcurie.htm
http://ninjawords.com/
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/womenenc/curie.html
http://www.biography.com/people/marie-curie-9263538
Webster Dictionary- Houghton Mifflin Company