Marie Curie, The wonder lady

 In the contemporary society women are considered as a symbol of weakness. Women had a very long struggle for achieving the basic rights for life. Even in the 21^st century we witness women to be treated as useless and degraded in many places of the world although the history sheds light on many unbreakable and firm women. Who has left the everlasting influence on the whole world such as Women as generous as Mother Teresa, as graceful as Lady Diana, as noble as Ruth Pfau, as vigilant as Razia sultana.

In the never ending list of the influential women, there is one woman who is shining up high with the achievements that no other men or women could achieve. Marie Curie, the only women to be honored with Nobel Prize twice. She was the first women to secure a Nobel Prize in the field of Physics.

Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867. Her birth name was Maria Sklodowska. She grew up to become a renowned scientist and researcher. Maria’s parents were both teachers. She grew up with 3 siblings. Maria has always been the brightest of children. She had very keen interest in studies. Maria completed her high school in Poland but women were not allowed to get enrolled in universities so she had to leave her home land to receive further education.

Maria went to Paris to study physics and Mathematics at Sorbonne University. In France she changed her named to more French sounding name Marie. Marie Curie met Pierre Curie the professor at the school of Physics and got married to him. Together Marie and Pierre Curie started research on the elements with unrecognizable waves. Marie named these waves as radioactive waves. In 1898 Marie Curie, Pierre Curie discovered a new chemical element which they named as polonium after Marie’s birth place Poland. Marie believed that there is a stronger element than polonium and she continued the efforts to discover a highly radioactive element Radium. The Curies were awarded with Nobel Prize for their research in 1903.

The life was very unpredictable as it had always been for Marie. In 1906 Pierre Curie died in a road accident leaving Marie alone. Marie continued the tiresome efforts by herself. Marie received another Nobel Prize in 1911 for Chemistry.

Marie had to face gruesome circumstances because of poverty. She could not afford proper meals in a day and a blanket at night. She used to cover herself with her books when she felt cold. All her life she followed her conviction and nothing could stop her. The conditions had made her sympathetic towards the suffering of others. Marie’s research played a crucial role in the development of X rays in surgical process. She also installed X ray machines in ambulances which were used in World war 1. She was so compassionate to serve that she also drove the ambulances by herself to the affected area.

Marie Curie had spent plenty of years of her life under the exposed radioactive rays which caused her leukaemia eventually she died on 4^th July 1934. Marie Curie was the women who laid the foundation of medical treatments through rays. Now Leukaemia and other cancers are treated through rays. She was a very intelligent and brave woman who fought with all odds and won every battle of her life.