Marie Curie as The Person of History

Marie Curie is the ‘Person of History’ because of her groundbreaking discoveries of radioisotopes radium and polonium. And her amazing work with Radioactivity. She made significant changes to the world and especially in the medical side. There are many examples of this existing at her time and today. Examples of today could be that Radioactivity is used to study living organisms, this means learning about them and knowing if their good or bad in order to take action. Also to sterilize medical instruments and food. This ensures cleaner experiences and safer food. In her days when she was living in Paris in 1914 as World War 1 began. She knew her scientific research needed to be put on hold, so she decided to put her entire stock of radium in a box and ship it to Bordeaux, France, where she would continue it after the war. And she wanted to contribute in the war, in the Medical part. Her friend had discovered X-rays, a type of electromagnetic radiation, in 1895. His name was Wilhelm Roentgen. But the X-rays only existed in Hospitals so she decided to invent the ‘radiological car’. This was a vehicle containing an X-ray machine and photographic darkroom. Equipment which could be driven right up to the battlefield where army surgeons could use X-rays to guide their surgeries. So she contributed to saving many lives at her time and still does today with the modern X-ray and radioactivity and this makes her significant.

The second reason that she is the Person of history is because she posed a great picture for women around the world and her achievements really made a difference in the world. Her actions inspired many women around the world that anything is possible. An example of this is that she was the first women 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. Marie Curie moved to Paris in 1891, to join her sister and her husband, and to study at the University of Paris (La Sorbonne). She graduated with two degrees – one in maths and one in physics. She worked very hard, studied by day and tutoring by night to earn the money to pay the bills. Another example is that she later became the University’s first female professor and this made her significant. She actually applied for Krakow University but got rejected because she was a female, though she didn’t give up and went to France. Imagine Marie’s situation 130 years ago – not only did she pursue the unfeminine ambition of education, she was studying topics that were, and still are, traditionally under the remit of men like science and math. There are many examples that she also did support women in all their rights. Evidence shows that Marie and her sister Bronisława got involved with an organization called the Flying University. It is a clandestine educational establishment teaching a pro-Polish curriculum, and one that was, a shock at that time, willing to admit female students. This meant that she specifically joined at an organization that admits female students. This makes her significant because she supported women and their rights her whole life and showed them anything is possible. Many of her quotes also inspired women and made her significant like 'I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.' This explains that she had a hard time growing up and especially studying STEM as a female student which was not easy.

In conclusion Marie curie is a great model for many things. This should make her the person of history. She achieved ground breaking research with radioactivity that is essential for staying healthy in our society today like sterilizing medical equipment and utensils. And at the same time she empowered women that anything is possible and that they can pursue their dreams with no barriers. Marie Curie has a large significance and place in our world today. She discovered two new chemical elements; radium and polonium, she carried out the first research into the treatment of tumors with radiation and she founded the Curie institutes which are important medical research centers. Her significance affected many people before and today. An example of this is Albert Einstein as he quoted “Not only did she do outstanding work in her lifetime, and not only did she help humanity greatly by her work, but she invested all her work with the highest moral quality. All of these she accomplished with great strength, objectivity, and judgment. It is very rare to find all of these qualities in one individual.” She has made big contributions to the world of science and medicine and fought discrimination.