Marguerite Perey

Marguerite Catherine Perey

1909 –1975 (65 years)

With a chemistry diploma from Paris' Technical School of Women's Education, Perey was hired as a technician to Marie Curie in 1929. Curie took on the role of mentor to Perey, taking her on as her personal assistant.

Perey spent the next 10 years sifting actinium from uranium ore, which Curie then used in her study of the decay of the element. After Curie’s death, Perey was promoted to radiochemist and in 1939 discovered francium.

Amongst other accolades, she was the first woman to be elected to the French Académie des Sciences and, although nominated multiple times for a Nobel Prize, never won.

Perey died of bone cancer in 1975.