Maria Salomee Sklodowska was born to Wladislaw and Bronislawa Sklodowski on November 7, 1867, in Warsaw, Poland. This was a difficult time in Poland's history, since Poland was under Russian control. Nevertheless, Curie excelled in school, and she finished her secondary school education in 1883 with a gold medal. Although her parents were academicians and emphasized the importance of both education and religion, Curie maintained an agnostic view. Her rejection of religion is generally attributed to the loss of her mother and sister while she was still a young child and also may be related to her attraction to science.

Because women were not allowed to pursue higher education in Poland, Curie and her elder sister Bronia decided to earn their advanced degrees in France. While Bronia studied medicine at the Sorbonne, her sister worked as a governess to support her and then joined her...