NOBEL PRIZE - Marie Skłodowska Curie and her husband Pierre Curie

Marie Skłodowska Curie and her husband Pierre Curie informed the l'Académie des Sciences #OnThisDay in 1898 that they had demonstrated strong grounds for having come upon an additional very active substance that behaved chemically almost like pure barium.

They suggested the name of radium for the new element, from the Latin word for "ray". In 1910, Marie successfully produced radium as a pure metal, which proved the new element's existence beyond a doubt. Radioactive compounds became important as sources of radiation in both scientific experiments and in the field of medicine, where they are used to treat tumours. More about the Curies: https://bit.ly/2zpCHZ1