On this day in 1906, French physicist Pierre Curie died at the age of 46. Known for his groundbreaking work in radioactivity alongside his wife, renowned physicist Marie Curie, Curie is often regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern physics.
Curie was born on May 15, 1859 in Paris, France to Eugene Curie and Sophie-Claire Depouilly. His father was a physician and taught Curie science and mathematics at an early age.
In 1903, Pierre and Marie Curie were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in recognition of their discoveries in radioactivity. Together they discovered the elements radium and polonium. A family of brilliant scientists, Marie would go on to receive a second Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Their eldest daughter, Irène, would also receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with her husband, Frédéric Joliot, in 1935.
Curie died on April 19, 1906 in a street accident in Paris, France. While crossing a busy street in the rain, he slipped and fell under a horse-drawn carriage. He died instantly when one of the wheels ran over his head.
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Source: Geni.com
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