12/09/2026
On this day in 1897, the famous nuclear scientist, Irène Joliot-Curie, was born!
Following in the footsteps of her scientist parents, Marie and Pierre Curie, Irène is best known for her discovery of artificial radioactivity. Together with her husband, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, they synthesized short-lived radioisotopes by bombarding aluminium, boron, and magnesium with alpha particles. For this discovery, Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935.
Their research was instrumental in the development of a range of applications, particularly in nuclear medicine where the use of artificial radioactivity was a major milestone for never-before-seen diagnostic and treatment options.