Marie Curie is one of the most notable female scientists in history, best known for her pioneering research in the field of radioactivity. She received two Nobel Prizes for her revolutionary work as a physicist and chemist, but did you know that quite a scandal broke out after she was named a Nobel laureate? We’re bringing you all the details about her controversial Nobel Prize wins, which will change the way you look at Marie Curie’s groundbreaking legacy.
Making History
Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 when she became a laureate in physics alongside her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel, “in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches on the radiation phenomena discovered”. The committee initially only intended to reward the two male scientists, but Pierre Curie was informed and filed a complaint.
Second Nobel Prize
Curie received her second Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry in 1911, becoming the first person and the only woman to win it multiple times. Her second win was overshadowed by her affair with physicist Paul Langevin, which was exploited by her academic opponents.
Even though Curie’s husband passed away years earlier and Langevin was estranged from his wife, their relationship ruffled some feathers. She was asked not to attend, but refused, saying “there is no relation between her scientific work and the facts of her private life”.
Family Affair
Winning Nobel Prizes was quite a family affair for the Curies. In addition to Marie and Pierre Curie, their daughter Irène Joliot-Curie was also a Nobel laureate in chemistry, for her discovery of induced radioactivity alongside her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie. The Curies became the family with the most Nobel laureates to date, while Marie and Irène remain the only mother-daughter pair to have won Nobel Prizes.