370: Irène Joliot-Curie
Chemist and Daughter of Marie Curie
Born: 12 September 1897, Paris, France
Died: 17 March 1956, Paris, France
She worked as a nurse radiographer alongside her mother during the First World War.
Irène earned her PhD in 1925.
Irène was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 for her work in discovering artificial radioactivity (shared with her husband). While not directly involved with the Manhattan Project, Irène’s work was essential in the creation of the Atomic bomb.
During World War II, Irène bounced back and forth between Switzerland and occupied France, trying to recover from tuberculosis. She passed away from leukemia caused by years of radium exposure.
When not pursuing scientific endeavors, Irène was also a Women’s Rights Advocate.
She had two children with her husband.
Badges Earned:
Find a Grave Marked
Located In My Personal Library:
The Book of Awesome Women: Boundary Breakers, Freedom Fighters, Sheroes, and Female Firsts by Becca Anderson
The Only Woman by Immy Humes
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History Edited By Bonnie G Smith
Sources:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1935/joliot-curie/biographical/
https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/irene-joliot-curie
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38021075/ir_ne-joliot_curie