Marie Curie

Find out the amazing story of the woman who changed science.

Marie Curie might have lived a long time ago, but she is still inspiring people today. This superstar scientist won two Nobel Prizes and discovered two new chemical elements. She was also one of the first researchers to investigate radioactivity and organised mobile X-ray units during the First World War (1914–1918). Curie did this just a few years after women were first allowed to study at universities. To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, let’s take a look at this remarkable scientist’s life story.

Secret schooling

In 1867, when Maria Sklodowska (as she was then known) was born, Poland was part of the Russian Empire. Around the world, women were only just beginning to be accepted into universities. The first French woman to gain a degree graduated in August 1861. In 1868, the first women were admitted to university in Britain. In Poland, however, women were not allowed to enrol in universities, so the young Maria took lessons with the Flying University, a secret college that gave lessons in changing locations such as private houses around the country.