Early Life
Born Maria Sklodowska in Warsaw, Poland, Curie moved to Paris in 1891 to study at the Sorbonne. She earned degrees in physics and mathematics, graduating first in her physics program.
Scientific Contributions
Working with her husband Pierre Curie, she discovered the elements polonium and radium. She coined the term "radioactivity" and developed techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes. Her systematic study of radioactive materials established the field of atomic physics.
Legacy
Curie remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different natural sciences (Physics 1903, Chemistry 1911). She founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw, which remain major medical research centres today.