Marie Curie

Maria Skłodowska-Curie

1897 (Warsaw) – 1934 (Sancellemoz, France)

Pierre Curie was her husband but also her close collaborator, Joliot-Curie her daughter, and Joliot her son-in-law. Perrin was her next-door neighbour, close friend and professional colleague. Becquerel supervised her doctorate, and shared the Nobel Prize: Brillouin and Lippmann also taught her; she worked afterwards in Lippmann’s research lab. Langevin is popularly supposed to have had an affair with her; Borel and Poincaré (who also taught her) helped defend her. Valéry sat on a committee she chaired, Einstein was a long-term friend, Rutherford had been keen to meet her, and Rodin was visited in his studio.

Marie Curie knew…