> In 1911, which scientist became the first person in history to win two NobelPrizes?And the answer: Marie Curie. Photo courtesy: AFP / Getty Images.When she won the Nobel Prize in 1903, MarieCurie was the first woman in history to do so. When she won again in 1911, shebecame the first person in history to win two Nobel Prizes. Her work with herhusband Pierre led to the discovery of polonium and radium, and she championedthe development of X-rays.Marie Curie was born Maria Sklodowska in Warsaw, Poland on November 7, 1867, toa family of prominent educators. Curie studied in secret, as due to the factthat she could not obtain acceptance to the male-only University of Warsaw.Curie left the country to seek her PhD in France, making her the first woman todo so. It was in Paris that Curie met life partner Pierre Curie. The two were abrilliant couple in the laboratory, and began their studies of radiationtogether. In 1903, the couple received the Nobel Prize in Physics for theirgroundbreaking work in the field. Interestingly, the two were so singleminded intheir work that they declined to attend the ceremony honoring the achievement –it would interfere with their research too much. Pierre died in a horse carriage accident in 1906. Despite this loss, Curiecontinued their work and was offered her husband's teaching position to becomethe first female professor at the Sorbonne in Paris. Curie's research went on tohelp establish the field of radiation therapy for cancer. By first creating anunderstanding of the effects of radioactivity, Curie then quantified its effecton living cells to see how it could benefit forms of cancer treatment. Learn more about the life and achievements of this pioneer of science below.