2. BIOGRAPHY
Maria Sklodowska, Marie Curie, was born on 7th November 1867 in
Warsaw, Poland when she was a child her elder sister died of typhus
and two years letter, her mother died of tuberculosis. These events
were tragic an affected her, so she studied a lot and became a top
student.
She completed her master´s degree in Physics and in mathematics.
In 1894 she met the French Physicist Pierre Curie. They married in
1895.
Later, in the laboratory, Marie discovered a new element:
Polonium, to honour her birthplace. Later she decided to find out
where the X-rays came from, because they would benefit humanity
greatly. X-rays could help surgeons to know when it´s necessary or
unnecessary to operate.
After Pierre´s death in 1906, she met another physicist, Paul
Langevir, to talk about radium; where X-rays came from.
During the First World War Marie could test her ideas she
established Fornce`sfirst military X-ray centre. Unfortunately,
Marie Curie died in 1934 from Leukemia caured by long exposure to
radiation. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the
only woman to win the award in two different fields- Physics 1903
and a Chemistry 1911.The symbol of a unit of radioactivity is the
Curie,Ci in Honour of Marie and Pierre Curie.
3. X- RAYS AND THE IMPORTANCE TO SAVE LIVES AT MARIE CURIE’S TIME
“I am resolved to put all my strength at the service of my adopted country,
since I cannot do anything for my unfortunate native country just now...” -
-letter from Marie Curie to Paul Langevin, January 1, 1915
This “petite Curie,” which brought X-rays to the Front in World War I, was displayed in
Paris in 1998 during the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of
radium.
X-rays could save soldiers' lives, she realized, by helping doctors see bullets,
shrapnel, and broken bones. Curie convinced the government to empower her to
set up France's first military radiology centers. Newly named Director of the Red
Cross Radiology Service, she wheedled money and cars out of wealthy
acquaintances.
She convinced automobile body shops to transform the cars into vans, and
begged manufacturers to do their part for their country by donating equipment.
By late October 1914, the first of 20 radiology vehicles she would equip was
ready. French enlisted men would soon dub these mobile radiology installations,
which transported X-ray apparatus to the wounded at the battle front, petites
Curies (little Curies).