“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in our selves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
Marie Curie was a scientist extraordinaire! Born in 1867 in Warsaw Poland, she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win in two different categories (physics and chemistry). At a time when academic opportunities for women were few and far between, Marie shattered stereotypes and set standards for scientific discovery.
Described as a researcher, explorer, and innovator, by her own words Marie was “a child confronting natural phenomena as though as though they were fairy tales.”
In collaboration with her husband and fellow scientist, Pierre Curie, Marie worked with the mineral element pitchblende and discovered a new radioactive element, polonium. The pair also detected the presence of another radioactive material and called that radium. Even after Pierre’s untimely death in 1906, she continued their important research, training their oldest daughter Irene to serve as her research assistant. (Nearly 30 years later, Irene would go on to be awarded her own Nobel Prize.)
Marie’s work established the field of radiation therapy as treatment for cancer. It was also through her research that the medical use of X-ray was made possible. In fact, during World War I Marie herself carried portable x-ray units to the front lines to help the wounded in vehicles nicknamed “Little Curies”.
Marie defied the status quo for women of her time. She used her gifts for the good of humanity, and set new standards for scientific discovery. She inspires us all to hold fast to our dreams, and to passionately pursue our life’s purpose. That’s why we’re celebrating her as a Woman Who Dared.
So tell us, how will you use your gifts to make the world a better place?
Hugs and Blessings ❤
PS – If you liked this story, help us share it! Be sure to use the hashtag #Dare2BMe, and stand in solidarity with women who dared.
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