Marie Curie

Who was Marie Curie?

Marie Curie was a Polish chemist who was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1903. She worked on radioactive elements, and died of radiation exposure.

What discoveries did Marie Curie make?

Marie Curie made 2 important discoveries.

• ❖ She found two new radioactive elements, polonium and radium, in 1898.
• ❖ She discovered that radiation could be used to shrink tumours.

What did Marie Curie do in the First World War?

Marie Curie was involved in 2 main activities during the First World War:

• ❖ She put her research into a bank, and spent the First World War building mobile X-rays in cars and portable X-rays for base hospitals.
• ❖ She trained over 150 female friends and volunteers on how to drive and use the X-rays. They then drove these radiological cars, known as 'little Curies', around the Western Front to help the war effort.