5 Most Influential Scientists of All Time

4. Marie Curie

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Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, more commonly known as Marie Curie, was a Polish-born scientist who became a French citizen and made groundbreaking contributions in the fields of physics and chemistry, particularly in the study of radioactivity. She made history by becoming the first female Nobel laureate and remains the only individual to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific branches: physics and chemistry. Marie Curie also achieved another significant milestone by becoming the first female tenured professor at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), France. Her remarkable achievements include the discovery of polonium and radium, and her pioneering work in Radioactive Chemistry laid a strong foundation for Atomic Physics and Nuclear Technologies. After the losses of her husband, Pierre Curie, in 1906 and their mentor, Henri Becquerel, in 1908, Marie Curie continued their work and made strides in the practical applications of X-rays.