Short Biography of Marie Curie Winner of an unprecedented two
Nobel Prizes, one shared with her husband and colleagues, Marie
Curie became famous for her work with radium, polonium, and
radioactivity. Her first Nobel Prize was for her contributions
to physics, while her second was to honor her for her work in
chemistry. Marie graduated high school, called a Russian Lycée,
receiving a gold medal at the young age of sixteen. Soon after
graduation, she became a teacher to help support her family who
had lost money in a series of unfortunate marketing errors.
During her time as a teacher, she helped Polish factory workers
in what was called the ‘free university’. She was also able to
help her sister complete her medical studies in Paris. In
return, her sister would later support Marie as she continued
her studies in science. After her sister’s graduation, Marie
headed to Paris. While there, she met several prominent
physicists who noticed the young lady’s intelligence and uncanny
memory. Within only two years of