PHYSICISTS A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z                    HOME ABOUT CATEGORIES SITE MAP COPYRIGHT ADVERTISE CONTACT entire Web this site Curie, Marie (1867-1934) Polish-born French physicist, born Marja Sklodowska, who, with her French-born husband Pierre Cure (1859-1906), was an early investigator of radioactivity, discovering the radioactive elements polonium and radium in the mineral pitchblende (1898). For this the Curies shared the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics with Henri Becquerel. After the death of Pierre, Marie went on to investigate the chemistry and medical applications of radium and was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry in recognition of her isolation of the pure metal. She died of leukemia caused by long exposure to radiation. Pierre Curie is also noted for the discovery with his brother Jacques of piezoelectricity (1880) and for his investigation of the effect of temperature on magnetic properties. In particular he discovered the Curie temperature, the temperature above which ferromagnetic materials display only paramagnetism (1895). The Curies' elder daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, was also a noted physicist. Related category    • PHYSICISTS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP