Nobel Prize Donated By Marie Curie
Marie Curie received two Nobel Prizes during her illustrious career as a physicist and chemist investigating radioactivity: one in physics in 1903, which she shared with her husband Pierre and their colleague Henri Becquerel, and another in chemistry in 1911. Curie made the decision to utilize her award money to support the war effort when World War I broke out throughout Europe.
The French National Bank turned down her request to give the gold from her two medals for melting down. Rather, Curie bought French war bonds with the majority of the reward money she was awarded. The scientist continued to contribute to the military effort after that. In addition, she developed mobile X-ray vans using her radiology knowledge.
She and several other skilled women, including her daughter Irène Curie, who would go on to win the Nobel Prize, utilized these vans to treat injured troops. One such invention was Curie’s portable X-rays: Despite being increasingly prevalent in French hospitals, X-ray devices were frequently located far from the front lines and were too sophisticated to use in war. The X-ray vans, sometimes known as “little Curies,” were outfitted with devices that allowed injured soldiers to receive more rapid medical attention in addition to being able to find shrapnel and shattered bones.
