Marie Sklodowska-Curie was one of the most prodigious pioneers of women working in science. Not only did she learn how to isolate radioactive isotopes, discover two elements (radium and polonium), and found the Curie Institutes which are at the forefront of medical research, but she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize and the first person to do it TWICE.

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.