Mary Curie's Discovery of Radium and Polonium

Mary Curie, one of the most famous women in the history of science, made groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of radioactivity. Alongside her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel, she explored the newly discovered phenomena of x-rays and radioactivity. Curie's work led her to investigate uranium salts, particularly pitch blend, which she found to be highly radioactive. Through painstaking research in a small, leaky shed laboratory in Paris, Curie discovered two new elements: polonium, named after her native Poland, and radium. These discoveries revolutionized the study of atomic physics and laid the groundwork for nuclear energy. Curie's groundbreaking work earned her two Nobel Prizes, one shared with her husband, and another later awarded solely to her. Her contributions to science and her perseverance in a male-dominated field continue to inspire generations.