“Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less.” - Marie Curie. Born Maria Sklodowska on November 7, 1867, Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physics and, with her later win in Chemistry, she became the first person to claim Nobel honors twice. She contributed immensely to radioactive research. She also established portable xrays in ambulances to help save thousands of soldier’s lives during WWI. After the war, she used her celebrity status to raise funds for more radium and to establish a research institute in Warsaw. Marie Curie died on July 4, 1934, of aplastic anemia, believed to be caused by prolonged exposure to radiation. She was known to carry test tubes of radium around in the pocket of her lab coat, and her many years working with radioactive materials took a toll on her health. For her dedication and contributions to science she is known as the Mother of Modern Physics.