Marie Skłodowska Curie was born into an intelligentsia family in Warsaw on November 7, 1867. Her father and mother were teachers, people of integrity and strict morals, honest, hard working, staunch patriots and devoted Catholics. Her father, Władysław Skłodowski, was a mathematician and a physicist; he also was a writer and a translator. Mother Bronisława, neé Boguska, was owner and principal of a boarding school for girls. They raised five children, all of whom made fine careers: Józef (1863–1937) became a physician; Bronisława (1865–1939), married Dłuska, also became a physician and closely collaborated with Maria; Helena (1866–1961) married a teacher named Szalay who became Maria’s biographer; and the oldest, Zofia (1862–1874), died in the age of 12. Their mother died of tuberculosis in 1878, which resulted in Maria’s health and faith crisis.
Maria finished high school in...
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Citation: Braun, Kazimierz. "Marie Skłodowska Curie". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 October 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12594, accessed 14 December 2025.]
