Curie Brings The World A Cure

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” -Marie Curie. Marie Curie knew from an early age that her life would not be easy. Maria Sklodowska, later known as Marie Curie, was the third child born to Bronislawa and Vladislav Sklodowski in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was a math and physics teacher, and her mother operated a boarding school for girls. At a time when the country was divided, and the Russian czar was controlling the people by taking away their culture including education, Marie's parents did their best to educate their children at home (Pasachoff 1). When Marie was only eight, her oldest sister died of typhus. Then, at age ten, her mother died of tuberculosis (Gingo 1). When she was fifteen years old, she was diagnosed with what is known today as depression, which doctors agreed was from the fatigue and stress she had been experiencing (Pasachoff 1). Later that year, she graduated from high school and sought out a college degree. Her older brother, Joseph, was able to attend the University of Warsaw, however she was not allowed to because female students were not admitted. Instead, she had to attend The Floating University, an illegal night-school which would educate women. Although Marie appreciated this opportunity, she knew she could not receive the same education there as she could from a better university (Pasachoff 1). She was determined to get a better education for herself, as well

as other women, and to gain the rights that they did not get, but she believed they deserved. Marie Curie overcame this prejudice by gaining more respect for women, showi...

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... prejudice that faced women in her lifetime, and her legacy of being an important activist in womens' rights, as well as her dedication to science and her help in developing medical practices will live on. Even after her death, she was still making accomplishments. In 1994 she was moved from the site of her burial to France's national mausoleum, The Pantheon, making her the first woman to be buried there (Pasachoff 18).

Works Cited

Anderson, Leah, Hedden, Jennifer, Hlavaty, Danielle, Landis, Margaret. “Madame Curie”. Madame Curie. N.p., 1996. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

Gingo, Matt. “Marie Curie”. Kings.edu. N.p., 4 Jun. 2007. Web. 28 March 2014.

“Marie Curie-Biographical”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013.Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

Pasachoff, Naomi. “Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity”. AIP. N.p., 1996. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.