Birth of Marie Sklodowska Curie
Birth of Marie Sklodowska Curie in Warsaw.
Historical biography timeline
Explore a static chronology of 57 World History Database records for Marie Curie. The page is generated from the same biography records used by the searchable database, making important life events directly crawlable and readable.
Life and historical importance
Polish-born physicist and chemist who pioneered research on radioactivity and discovered polonium and radium. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.
Editorial overview by World History Database. The chronology below is generated from the site's structured biography records.
Chronology
Records are ordered by year, month and day where dates are available. The wording below comes from the World History Database biography collection.
Birth of Marie Sklodowska Curie
Birth of Marie Sklodowska Curie in Warsaw.
Childhood
Grows up in Warsaw under Russian imperial rule.
Moves to Paris
Leaves Warsaw to study at the University of Paris.
Physics Degree
Completes a physics degree at the University of Paris.
Mathematics Degree
Completes further mathematical studies in Paris.
Marriage
Marries Pierre Curie and continues research in Paris.
Radioactivity Research
Begins studying Becquerel rays for her doctoral work.
Birth of Irene Curie
Gives birth to her daughter Irene Curie.
Discovery of Polonium
Announces polonium with Pierre Curie.
Discovery of Radium
Announces radium with Pierre Curie and Gustave Bemont.
Pitchblende Research
Finds pitchblende more radioactive than uranium alone.
Radium
Shows pitchblende contains a substance far more radioactive than uranium.
Radioactivity
Measures uranium minerals while developing the concept of radioactivity.
Radioactivity Term
Uses radioactivity to describe emissions from uranium and thorium.
Ecole Normale Teaching
Begins teaching physics at the Ecole Normale Superieure for women.
Polonium Naming
Names polonium after Poland, her native country.
Radium Atomic Weight
Determines radium properties from purified radium chloride.
Radium Isolation
Separates radium salts and determines radium properties during doctoral research.
Doctorate
Receives her doctorate for research on radioactive substances.
Nobel Prize
Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics and becomes the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize.
Nobel Prize in Physics
Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for radiation research.
Davy Medal
Receives the Davy Medal with Pierre Curie.
Radium Process
Leaves the radium isolation process unpatented for open scientific use.
Birth of Eve Curie
Gives birth to Eve Curie, her second daughter.
Laboratory Work
Continues isolating radium compounds after the Nobel Prize.
Nobel Visit
Travels to Stockholm for the delayed Nobel ceremonies.
Sorbonne Chair
Succeeds Pierre Curie in his Sorbonne chair.
First Sorbonne Lecture
Gives her first lecture as Sorbonne professor.
Sorbonne Professor
Becomes a full professor at the Sorbonne.
Radium Institute Plan
Supports plans for a dedicated radium research institute.
Metallic Radium
Produces radium as a pure metal with Andre Debierne.
Solvay Conference
Attends the first Solvay Conference on radiation and quanta.
Nobel Prize
Receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on radium and polonium, including the isolation and study of radium.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for radium and polonium.
Health of Marie Sklodowska Curie
Is hospitalised after severe strain following her second Nobel Prize.
Recovery
Returns gradually to scientific work after illness and controversy.
Radium Standard
Continues work on radium standards for scientific measurement.
Mobile X-Ray Units
Organises mobile radiography units for wartime medical service.
Radium Institute
The Paris Radium Institute opens as war begins.
Little Curies
Equips mobile X-ray cars known as Little Curies.
Military Radiology
Expands military radiology services for French hospitals.
Radium Institute Research
Returns the Radium Institute to peacetime research after the war.
Radiology Report
Publishes on radiology experiences from the war.
Curie Institute
Develops the Curie laboratory as a centre for radioactivity research.
American Radium Gift
Receives a gram of radium from American supporters.
Willard Gibbs Award
Receives the Willard Gibbs Award for chemistry.
Academy of Medicine
Is elected to the French Academy of Medicine.
Intellectual Cooperation
Serves on the League committee for intellectual cooperation.
Radium Institute Warsaw
Lays a foundation stone for a Warsaw radium institute.
Second American Tour
Visits the United States to support radium work in Warsaw.
Radium Institute Warsaw
Opens the Radium Institute in Warsaw.
Death of Marie Sklodowska Curie
Death of Marie Sklodowska Curie at the Sancellemoz sanatorium.
Death of Marie Sklodowska Curie
Dies from aplastic anaemia linked to long radiation exposure.
Radiation Illness
Dies after years of exposure to radioactive materials and wartime X-rays.
Last Visit to Poland
Visits Poland for the final time before her death.
Curie Birth Centenary
Centenary commemorations honour Marie Curie scientific legacy.
Pantheon Reburial
Is reburied in the Pantheon with Pierre Curie.
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Editorial provenance
Compiled and edited by World History Database
Biography timelines are compiled from the World History Database and checked against established historical and biographical reference sources.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Reference points include Encyclopaedia Britannica biographies, The National Archives, Library of Congress, and U.S. National Archives. Individual database records may draw on additional specialist sources appropriate to the person, period or event.
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