As the daughter of a Nobel Prize winner, she had to give up her childhood. Her mother was waiting for her in the laboratory

More stories of extraordinary women on Maria Skłodowska-Curie had two daughters. The older one, Irena, was born in 1897, the younger one, Ewa, was born in 1904. Although the Nobel Prize winner assured that she loved both girls equally, at first glance it was obvious that she had a special bond with Irena. From early childhood, the girl showed interest in science subjects, and she also reminded her of Piotr, her husband, who died under the wheels of a horse-drawn cart in 1906. Ewa, on the other hand, was interested in art, mainly music; physics and chemistry could not exist for her. As her mother’s favorite, Irena paid a high price…

They didn’t have a colorful childhood. But they had a grandfather

Maria was not the type of mother who would happily spend time at home with her children and closely watch them grow. Almost immediately after the birth of her first daughter, she returned to her research. The infant had to share his mother’s attention with her work. Fortunately, there was also a grandfather – Eugene Curie, who made every effort to ensure that his grandchildren’s lives were idyllic and carefree. Maria knew that Irena was exceptionally intelligent. She came to the conclusion that the girl should not study at school (the French education system did not enjoy a good reputation) – she educated her at home. The girl studied with the most famous professors of the Sorbonne. Her mother soon turned Irena into a trusted collaborator, and those around her knew that she saw her tragically deceased husband in her daughter, whom she had missed for years.

She had to rise to the occasion

While her peers engaged in activities and entertainment typical of teenage years, Irena spent long hours with her mother in the laboratory. And after the outbreak of World War I, both appeared on the front. Irena was 16 years old at the time and, together with her mother, she was implementing her breakthrough project in the infirmaries. They convinced doctors that thanks to the use of X-rays, they would easily locate shrapnel in the bodies of wounded soldiers. Not everyone was happy with the presence of two women at the front, one of them a minor.

She never complained

Since Irena was raised as a scientist, working in the laboratory alongside her mother was something natural for her. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else. She did not complain about the lack of a social life, she did not complain about headaches and dizziness caused by the radiation to which she was constantly exposed. By the time she was 18, already a trained nurse, her mother appointed her head of radiology at an Anglo-Belgian hospital. It is easy to guess that she was looked down upon due to her young age and the fact that she was the daughter of a famous Nobel Prize winner did not always help. Some doctors couldn’t stand the fact that the teenager was smarter than them, had better ideas, etc.

Finally a suitor appeared

In 1925, Frédéric Joliot, a young, charming physicist, appeared at the Paris Radium Institute, where Irena worked, and quickly began to court Irena. Absorbed in work and obedient to her mother, who in turn believed that the man would distract her from work, she initially ignored his advances. Frédéric did not give up and finally won Irena’s heart. They married in 1926 and had two children: Hélène and Pierre. In 1956, Irena was diagnosed with leukemia. She died on March 17, 1956. She was 58 years old, nine younger than her mother was when she died.