My history hero: Nicola Fox chooses Marie Curie (1867–1934)
Head of Science at NASA Nicola Fox chooses Marie Curie as a history hero
In profile
Marie Curie, born Maria Skłodowska in Warsaw, was a naturalised-French physicist and chemist. She conducted groundbreaking research into radioactivity, and was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes – in physics, with her husband Pierre in 1903, and in chemistry in 1911. She was also the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris. A mother of two, she died aged 66 from aplastic anaemia, likely the result of repeated exposure to radiation.
When did you first hear about Marie Curie?
As a child of eight, when I was at primary school. We were studying people who’d made a difference in the medical field, including Marie Curie. The fact that she was not only a woman, married and with a family, but was also a scientist who won the Nobel Prize, had a big impact on me.
What kind of woman was she?
She achieved so many firsts. Not only was she the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, but she won it in two different categories: chemistry and physics. She was also a professor at the Sorbonne, and discovered radium and polonium. Yet she was not a “Look at me – I’m so awesome” type, but thought of herself as part of a partnership [with her husband, Pierre], and kept looking towards the next scientific breakthrough.
She also believed in giving something back to society: she founded the Curie Institute in Paris, which specialises in cancer research. It wasn’t all about her.
What made Marie Curie a hero?
The fact that she achieved all these firsts over a century ago, when it was hard for women to attain prominence as a result of their own achievements. Can you imagine the hurdles she faced all those years ago? Yet she notched up a string of hugely important scientific achievements – and used those discoveries to impact on so many other significant areas.
It takes most winners a lifetime to get a Nobel Prize. But, eight years after winning one with her husband, she got another. That’s mindblowing! I also love the fact that she was a family person and had a happy home life.
What was Curie’s finest hour?
Doing things like separating radium from radioactive residue in large quantities, and developing a mini X-ray that could be used on the battlefield, are what make her a hero to me. And I think she would have regarded those achievements as her finest hour, rather than the accolades she received.
- Read more | 100 women who changed the world
Can you see any parallels between her life and your own?
Like her, I’m passionate about STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] education, and about encouraging our next generation of scientists and engineers. At NASA, I’ve worked as part of a team with a shared goal – to get a mission from concept into space – in the same way that Marie saw herself as part of a team focused on achieving a scientific breakthrough.
And we both lost our husbands when our children were young. Her husband died in a road accident, aged 46, and my husband, John, died from an aortic aneurysm in 2010, aged 49. We both had to carry on and provide for our families.
What would you ask Marie Curie if you could meet her?
I’d love to ask if she had any tips for a better work-life balance.
Nicola ‘Nicky’ Fox is the associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. After completing a PhD at Imperial College, London, she moved to the US and has held various senior roles at NASA.
This article was first published in the September 2024 issue of BBC History Magazine
Authors
York Membery is a regular contributor to BBC History Magazine, the Daily Mail and Sunday Times among other publications. York, who lives in London, worked on the Mirror, Express and Times before turning freelance. He studied history at Cardiff University and the Institute of Historical Research, and has a History PhD from Maastricht University.