Pierre Curie
Pierre Curie was born on this day, May 15 in 1859 and became renowned for his pioneering work alongside Marie Curie and Henri Becquerel in nuclear science and radioactivity.
While studying the properties of radium, a previously unknown element at the time, Pierre Curie and his colleagues discovered that a fragment of radium continuously emitted heat. This heat was later identified as the first discovered form of radiation.
In recognition of their research on the transformation processes involved in this heat emission, Pierre Curie and his colleagues were awarded the Noble Prize in physics in 1903. Their groundbreaking work laid the foundation for nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, marking a critical step toward the many peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology that continue to benefit people around the world today.
