Sunday, July 8, 1934 - Paris, France
This past Wednesday, in a small nursing home in Sancellmoz, the world lost a legend. Marie Curie passed away at the age of 66, due to pernicious anemia - a severe complication due to prolonged exposure to radiation. Her work will forever be a positive influence on the world of science.
Marya Sklodowska was born on November 7, 1867 to Ladislas and Bronsitwa Sklodowska, both teachers. The youngest of five, she and the rest of her family lived in Warsaw, Poland. Marya graduated at the top of her high school class at only fifteen years old. She then left her home to be a governess for the Zorawskis. Marya soon fell in love with the eldest Zorawski son, Casimir. They agreed to marry eachother, but his parents objected, claiming he could do much better than a petty governess. She completed her time and hastily sought another position.
Pierre and Marie Curie in the laboratory
Pierre Curie
English: Marie, Pierre and Irene Curie Deutsch: Ma...Within a year of finding another job, her eldest sister Bronya finished medical school and summoned Marya to Paris. In November of 1891, Marya left Poland and registered at the French university, Sorbonne, under the name Marie Sklodowska.
The cost of living was very high in Paris, and despite help from her family back home, she lived very humbly, eating a diet of buttered bread and tea, with the occasional egg. She also lived without heat, so she studied at a nearby library until closing. After living on this regimen, Marie became anemic, often fainting during class. Despite her living conditions, Marie graduated first in her class with a degree in physics. In 1894, she received her master's degree, and discovered she had been awarded the Alexandrovitch Scholarship, enabling her to continue her studies for free. Many years after graduating, she became the first to...