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Historical biography timeline

Marie Curie 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.

57 records 1867–1995 record span 54 event labels 2 countries

Life and historical importance

Marie Curie: life, career and historical significance

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

Marie Curie: dated events and historical records

Records are ordered by year, month and day where dates are available. The wording below comes from the World History Database biography collection.

1867
7th November

Birth of Marie Sklodowska Curie

Warsaw · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Birth of Marie Sklodowska Curie in Warsaw.

1867

Childhood

Warsaw · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Grows up in Warsaw under Russian imperial rule.

1891
1891

Moves to Paris

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Leaves Warsaw to study at the University of Paris.

1893
1893

Physics Degree

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Completes a physics degree at the University of Paris.

1894
1894

Mathematics Degree

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Completes further mathematical studies in Paris.

1895
26th July

Marriage

Sceaux · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Marries Pierre Curie and continues research in Paris.

1896
1896

Radioactivity Research

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Begins studying Becquerel rays for her doctoral work.

1897
12th September

Birth of Irene Curie

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Gives birth to her daughter Irene Curie.

1898
18th July

Discovery of Polonium

Paris · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Announces polonium with Pierre Curie.

26th December

Discovery of Radium

Paris · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Announces radium with Pierre Curie and Gustave Bemont.

26th December

Pitchblende Research

Paris · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Finds pitchblende more radioactive than uranium alone.

26th December

Radium

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Shows pitchblende contains a substance far more radioactive than uranium.

1898

Radioactivity

Paris · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Measures uranium minerals while developing the concept of radioactivity.

1898

Radioactivity Term

Paris · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Uses radioactivity to describe emissions from uranium and thorium.

1900
1900

Ecole Normale Teaching

Sevres · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Begins teaching physics at the Ecole Normale Superieure for women.

1902
1902

Polonium Naming

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Names polonium after Poland, her native country.

1902

Radium Atomic Weight

Paris · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Determines radium properties from purified radium chloride.

1902

Radium Isolation

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Separates radium salts and determines radium properties during doctoral research.

1903
25th June

Doctorate

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Receives her doctorate for research on radioactive substances.

10th December

Nobel Prize

Stockholm · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics and becomes the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize.

10th December

Nobel Prize in Physics

Stockholm · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for radiation research.

1903

Davy Medal

London · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Receives the Davy Medal with Pierre Curie.

1903

Radium Process

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Leaves the radium isolation process unpatented for open scientific use.

1904
6th December

Birth of Eve Curie

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Gives birth to Eve Curie, her second daughter.

1904

Laboratory Work

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Continues isolating radium compounds after the Nobel Prize.

1905
6th June

Nobel Visit

Stockholm · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Travels to Stockholm for the delayed Nobel ceremonies.

1906
13th May

Sorbonne Chair

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Succeeds Pierre Curie in his Sorbonne chair.

5th November

First Sorbonne Lecture

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Gives her first lecture as Sorbonne professor.

1908
1908

Sorbonne Professor

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Becomes a full professor at the Sorbonne.

1909
1909

Radium Institute Plan

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Supports plans for a dedicated radium research institute.

1910
1910

Metallic Radium

Paris · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Produces radium as a pure metal with Andre Debierne.

1911
October

Solvay Conference

Brussels · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Attends the first Solvay Conference on radiation and quanta.

10th December

Nobel Prize

Stockholm · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on radium and polonium, including the isolation and study of radium.

10th December

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Stockholm · Poland · Science · Chemistry · Physicist

Wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for radium and polonium.

December

Health of Marie Sklodowska Curie

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Is hospitalised after severe strain following her second Nobel Prize.

1912
1912

Recovery

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Returns gradually to scientific work after illness and controversy.

1913
1913

Radium Standard

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Continues work on radium standards for scientific measurement.

1914
1914

Mobile X-Ray Units

Paris · Poland · Warfare · World War, 1st · Radiologist

Organises mobile radiography units for wartime medical service.

1914

Radium Institute

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

The Paris Radium Institute opens as war begins.

1915
1915

Little Curies

France · Poland · Warfare · World War, 1st · Radiologist

Equips mobile X-ray cars known as Little Curies.

1917
1917

Military Radiology

France · Poland · Warfare · World War, 1st · Radiologist

Expands military radiology services for French hospitals.

1918
1918

Radium Institute Research

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Returns the Radium Institute to peacetime research after the war.

1919
1919

Radiology Report

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Publishes on radiology experiences from the war.

1920
1920

Curie Institute

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Develops the Curie laboratory as a centre for radioactivity research.

1921
20th May

American Radium Gift

Washington · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Receives a gram of radium from American supporters.

1921

Willard Gibbs Award

Chicago · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Receives the Willard Gibbs Award for chemistry.

1922
1922

Academy of Medicine

Paris · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Is elected to the French Academy of Medicine.

1922

Intellectual Cooperation

Geneva · Poland · Government · League of Nations · Scientist

Serves on the League committee for intellectual cooperation.

1925
1925

Radium Institute Warsaw

Warsaw · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Lays a foundation stone for a Warsaw radium institute.

1929
1929

Second American Tour

New York · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Visits the United States to support radium work in Warsaw.

1932
29th May

Radium Institute Warsaw

Warsaw · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Opens the Radium Institute in Warsaw.

1934
4th July

Death of Marie Sklodowska Curie

Sallanches · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Death of Marie Sklodowska Curie at the Sancellemoz sanatorium.

4th July

Death of Marie Sklodowska Curie

Sallanches · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Dies from aplastic anaemia linked to long radiation exposure.

4th July

Radiation Illness

Sallanches · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Dies after years of exposure to radioactive materials and wartime X-rays.

1934

Last Visit to Poland

Warsaw · Poland · Science · Medicine · Physicist

Visits Poland for the final time before her death.

1967
7th November

Curie Birth Centenary

Warsaw · France · Arts · Commemoration · Scientist

Centenary commemorations honour Marie Curie scientific legacy.

1995
20th April

Pantheon Reburial

Paris · France · Arts · Commemoration · Physicist

Is reburied in the Pantheon with Pierre Curie.

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Editorial provenance

Sources and editorial review

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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