About Marie Curie

  • last year
Marie Curie was a physicist, chemist and pioneer in the study of radiation. She discovered the elements polonium and radium with her husband, Pierre. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, along with Henri Becquerel, and Marie received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.
Transcript
00:00 At the age of 28, the young Marie met and married a French scientist named Pierre Curie.
00:05 Together in their laboratory in Paris, they shared in the research that isolated two radioactive elements, radium and polonium.
00:12 Their efforts brought them a joint Nobel Prize in 1903.
00:16 After the tragic death of her husband three years later, Madame Curie carried on the work alone
00:21 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for an unprecedented second time in 1911 for her work in refining the radium metal itself.
00:29 In 1921, she made the first of several trips to America.
00:32 President Warren Harding served as the official spokesman of the women of America
00:36 in presenting the discovery of radium with a medal and a gift of one gram of the precious stuff valued at over $50,000.
00:44 Madame Curie graciously accepted America's grateful donation that would allow her to continue her research.
00:50 [music]
00:51 Greatest headlines of the century.
00:53 [music]
00:56 Dateline Washington, D.C.
00:58 Again in 1929, she returned on board ship with her two grown daughters for a second donation.
01:04 By now advancing old age, willing to take its toll of the woman whose brilliant mind had isolated element 88.
01:10 President Herbert Hoover proudly made the presentation of an additional gram of radium to its discoverer.
01:16 Madame Curie's life work could continue with one more gram of the life-saving metal.
01:20 The great woman scientist was to die in Savoy, France on July 4, 1934.
01:26 But Madame Curie's contribution to humanity would keep her name and memory alive in the annals of mankind forever.
01:33 [music]
01:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Recommended