Lasting Legacy of Marie Curie: A Look at the Influence on History

How the contributions of Marie Curie continue to shape the world today.

Marie Curie, born Maria Skłodowska in Poland, was a pioneering physicist and chemist renowned for her groundbreaking research on radioactivity. Working primarily in France, she was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields (Physics and Chemistry). Curie's work led to the discovery of polonium and radium, and she developed techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes. Her research was crucial in developing treatments for cancer. She died in 1934 from aplastic anemia likely caused by her long-term exposure to radiation.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

1909: Initiative for Creating the Radium Institute

In 1909, Pierre Paul Émile Roux, director of the Pasteur Institute, initiated the creation of the Radium Institute (now Curie Institute) after being disappointed by the University of Paris's lack of support for Curie's laboratory.

1911: After her 1911 Nobel Prize victory

Lauren Gunderson's 2019 play The Half-Life of Marie Curie portrays Curie during the summer after her 1911 Nobel Prize victory, when she was grappling with depression and facing public scorn over the revelation of her affair with Paul Langevin.

1920: Foundation of the Curie Institute in Paris

In 1920, Marie Curie founded the Curie Institute in Paris, a major medical research center that continues to operate today.

1932: Foundation of the Curie Institute in Warsaw

In 1932, Marie Curie founded the Curie Institute in Warsaw, which, like its Paris counterpart, remains a significant medical research center.

1932: Marie Curie founded Radium Institute

Marie Curie founded the Radium Institute in 1932.

1935: Publication of Radioactivity

In 1935, Marie Curie's last book, Radioactivity, was published posthumously.

1935: Statue erected before Radium Institute

In 1935, a statue of Marie Skłodowska was erected before the Radium Institute, which she had founded in 1932. Kazimierz Żorawski, her former love, would sit contemplatively before the statue.

1962: First Woman Elected to Membership in the Académie

In 1962, Marguerite Perey, a doctoral student of Curie's, became the first woman elected to membership in the French Académie des Sciences. This happened over half a century after Curie was rejected from the academy.

1989: Depiction on 20,000-zloty banknote

Between 1989 and 1996, Marie Curie was depicted on a 20,000-zloty banknote designed by Andrzej Heidrich.

1994: Depiction on 500-franc banknote

In 1994, the Bank of France issued a 500-franc banknote depicting Marie and Pierre Curie.

1995: Entombment in the Paris Panthéon

In 1995, Marie Curie became the first woman to be entombed in the Paris Panthéon based on her own merits, an honor recognizing her significant contributions to science.

1995: Remains transferred to Panthéon

In 1995, sixty years after her death, the remains of Marie and Pierre Curie were transferred to the Paris Panthéon.

1995: Exhumation of Curie's body

When Marie Curie's body was exhumed in 1995, the French Office de Protection contre les Rayonnements Ionisants concluded that she could not have been exposed to lethal levels of radium while she was alive.

1996: Depiction on 20,000-zloty banknote

Between 1989 and 1996, Marie Curie was depicted on a 20,000-zloty banknote designed by Andrzej Heidrich.

2011: Year of Marie Curie

In 2011, Poland declared it the Year of Marie Curie during the International Year of Chemistry, celebrating her profound impact on science and society.

2011: Commemorative banknote issued

In 2011, a commemorative 20-zloty banknote depicting Marie Curie was issued by the National Bank of Poland on the 100th anniversary of the scientist receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

2013: False Assumptions play

In 2013, Marie Curie is the subject of the play False Assumptions by Lawrence Aronovitch.

2014: Manya: The Living History of Marie Curie

By 2014, Susan Marie Frontczak had performed her one-woman show, Manya: The Living History of Marie Curie, in 30 U.S. states and nine countries.

2018: Marie Curie Korean Musical

In 2018, the life of Marie Curie was the subject of a Korean musical, titled Marie Curie.

2019: The Half-Life of Marie Curie play

Lauren Gunderson's 2019 play The Half-Life of Marie Curie portrays Curie during the summer after her 1911 Nobel Prize victory.

2024: Depiction on French 50 euro cent coins

As of the middle of 2024, Marie Curie is depicted on French 50 euro cent coins to commemorate her importance in French history.

2024: Marie Curie a New Musical

The English translation of the musical "Marie Curie" which is "Marie Curie a New Musical" received its official Off West End premiere in London's Charing Cross Theatre in summer 2024.