Marie Curie was born on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. She was one of the first woman scientists to win universal fame, and was considered one of the great scientists of this century. Her achievements include 2 degrees, one in mathematics, and one in physics. She was a winner of two Nobel Prizes, for Physics in 1903 and for Chemistry in 1911. She also performed groundbreaking studies with radium and polonium that contributed greatly to the understanding of radioactivity. Marie Curie and her Husband Pierre were co-discoverers of radium. This discovery made possible many of the major medical techniques that are used in everyday life.

Curie was born as the fifth and youngest child of Bronsilawa Boguska, who was a pianist, singer, and teacher, and Wladyslaw Sklodowski, a professor of mathematics and physics. During her youth she was remarkable for her extraordinary memory. When she was 16 she won a gold medal on...