On 7 November 2023, the UN Postal Administration will issue a CHF 2,30 stamp to honour Marie Curie. The quote on the stamp which is in French reads as follows:
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood”
The CHF 2,30 stamp is part of a definitive stamp series illustrated by Martin Mörck (Norway).
Marie Curie is best known for her pioneering research in radioactivity and her discovery of two elements, polonium and radium. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.
Born Marya Skłodowska in Warsaw, Poland on November 7, 1867, she was the youngest of five children. Despite her family’s poverty and limited access to scientific education, combined with the fact that she was a woman, Marie overcame many obstacles to pursue her passion and her scientific career.
In 1891, she went to Paris to study physics and mathematics at the Sorbonne. It was there she met Pierre Curie, professor at the School of Physics, where they worked together studying radioactivity and researching. They were married in 1895.
In 1903, Marie and Pierre Curie were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics, jointly with Henri Becquerel, for their combined, though separate work on radioactivity, a term Curie coined herself. In the same year, Marie passed her doctorate thesis in Physics. After her husband’s death in 1906, she took over his professorship at Sorbonne, becoming the institution’s first female professor.
In 1911, Marie Curie earned a second Nobel Prize in chemistry (along with her husband) for her discovery of two new elements: polonium (named after her homeland) and radium.
Marie Curie’s research laid the foundation for modern nuclear science, from X-rays to radiotherapy for treating cancer. She stood out not only for her brilliant talent and dedication, but also for inspiring woman and girls in science.
