Born to poor school teachers at a time when women could not attend university in her home country of Poland, Marie Curie sought out an underground university and worked hard to save money for further study in Paris. She made it to France, and continued to dedicate herself to science once she had graduated. In search of new radioactive elements, she undertook physically exhausting work with materials that were later found to be incredibly dangerous. Having finally discovered polonium and radium, the Nobel prize that should have been hers was first awarded to her husband - but Marie eventually won the fame she deserved.