4. Marie Curie Discovered Radioactivity
Possibly the most famous female scientist in history, Marie Curie was the first female to win a Nobel Prize and the first person of either sex to earn the honor twice. She and her husband, Pierre Curie, built on the work of previous physicists regarding the properties of uranium, particularly regarding X-rays. Her discoveries led to her getting her first Nobel Prize.
The couple went on to discover a new element, polonium – named after Marie’s native country, Poland – and then isolated what we now know as radium. The discoveries earned her her second Nobel prize. When Pierre tragically died in an accident, Marie filled in his teaching post at Sorbonne, becoming the first female professor.
When World War I broke out, she devoted all of her time to work in radioactivity and X-rays to help soldiers who had been injured. Unfortunately, at the time the dangers of radiation were not known. Marie was known to carry around test tubes filled with radioactive substances without the precautionary measures that physicists today take. Her work in radioactivity may have contributed, if not caused, her death from aplastic anemia.
Marie had two daughters with Pierre, Irene and Eve. Irene followed in her mother’s footsteps and also became a Nobel laureate. Today, “Madame Curie” is seen as a top role model for aspiring female scientists.