Maria Skłodowska-Curie (1867-1934), born in Warsaw, daughter of Władysław and Bronisława Boguska. From the beginning of her education she was an able pupil. At the age of sixteen, her mother and sister died of typhoid fever. These events shook the young Maria and contributed to her becoming an atheist and deepening her belief in the validity and sublimity of science. Young Maria was also heavily influenced by positivist ideas, with which she and her two sisters Bronia and Helena were introduced by Bronisława Piasecka, a teacher. Maria moved to Paris in 1891, following in the footsteps of her sister Bronia. There, she took up mathematics and physics at the Sorbonne. At that time, she also attended the theatre, learning acting. In 1893, she received a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics. In 1897, Marie undertook research into the radiation produced by uranium salts. During the course of her research, she was joined by her husband, also a scientist, Pierre Curie. In the course of their research, they succeeded in isolating a hitherto unknown chemical element, which was named Polonium, in honour of Poland. They received many awards and considerable recognition in the scientific world for this discovery. In 1906, she began lecturing at the Sorbonne, becoming the first woman professor in the history of that university. She succeeded her previously deceased husband there. She greatly survived this loss, devoting herself entirely to her work. In 1903, Marie and Pierre Curie were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics with Becquerel. In 1911, Marie was not admitted to the French Academy of Sciences because of gender discrimination. At that time she was already a Nobel Prize winner, a three-time winner of the Academy of Sciences in Paris, held honorary doctorates from universities including Edinburgh, Geneva, Manchester, was a member of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, Bologna, Prague, and a member of the Academy of Skills in Krakow. On 7 November 1911 Maria received her second Nobel Prize, in chemistry, for the discovery of polonium and radium. Numerous films, plays, monuments, stamps, and coins have been created in honour of Marie Skłodowska-Curie.