150th Birth Anniversary of Maria Skłodowska-Curie

7.11.2017

Maria Skłodowska-Curie in her workplace, Paris 1900 (Photo by Harlingue-Viollet / East News)

An outstanding researcher whose actions had a huge impact on cancer research, Maria Skłodowska-Curie, was born 150 years ago. She famed for her work on radioactivity winning two Nobel Prizes – the first in Physics in 1903 (together with her husband, Pierre Curie) for discovering the radioactive elements polonium and radium, making her the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize and the second – in Chemistry in 1911 for her discoveries and studies of the elements of radium and polonium. She is the only woman so far, who has been awarded the Nobel Prize twice. She was born on 7th November 1867 in Warsaw. She moved to Paris, France, to study at the Sorbonne’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, where she met her future husband Pierre Curie.

Besides scientific research, Maria Skłodowska-Curie was also committed to various organisational activities and social work, including radiology service provided for the military via mobile X-ray during the First World War.

The MUG’s Rector’s office is located at the street which bears the name of Maria Skłodowska-Curie.