“Life is not easy for any of us. But what can we say? We must have perseverance and above all trust in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be achieved." -Mary Curie. Marie Curie knew from an early age that her life would not be easy. Maria Sklodowska, later known as Marie Curie, was the third child born to Bronislawa and Vladislav Sklodowski in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was a mathematics and physics teacher and her mother ran a boarding school for girls. In a time when the country was divided and the Russian Tsar controlled the people by taking away their culture, including education, Marie's parents did their best to educate their children at home (Pasachoff 1). When Marie was only eight years old, her older sister died of typhus. Then, at the age of ten, his mother died of tuberculosis (Gingo 1). When she was fifteen she was diagnosed with what is now known as depression, which doctors agreed was due to the tiredness and stress she had experienced (Pasachoff 1). That same year, he graduated from high school and sought a college degree. Her older brother, Joseph, was able to attend Warsaw University, but she was not allowed to because female students were not allowed. Instead, she had to attend Floating University, an illegal night school that would educate women. Although Marie appreciated this opportunity, she knew that she could not receive the same education that she could have received from a better university (Pasachoff 1). She was determined to get a better education for herself, as well as other women, and to gain the rights that they had not gotten, but believed they deserved. Marie Curie overcame this prejudice by gaining greater respect for women, demonstrating... middle of paper... prejudice that women faced during her lifetime, and her legacy of being a prominent women's rights activist , as well as his dedication to science and his help in the development of medical practices will live on. Even after his death, he was still getting results. In 1994, she was moved from her burial site to France's national mausoleum, the Pantheon, making her the first woman to be buried there (Pasachoff 18). Works Cited Anderson, Leah, Hedden, Jennifer, Hlavaty, Danielle, Landis, Margaret. “Madame Curie”. Madame Curie. Np, 1996. Web. 28 March 2014. Gingo, Matt. “Marie Curie”. Kings.edu. Np, 4 June 2007. Web. 28 March 2014. “Marie Curie-Biographical”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013.Web. March 28, 2014.Pasachoff, Naomi. “Marie Curie and the science of radioactivity”. AIP. Np, 1996. Web. 28 March. 2014.