Looks like she continued to use her maiden name throughout her life. American schools seem to always use her French name, including using Marie instead of Maria. Partially because Americans can’t pronounce Polish names. And likely a significant cultural bias towards associating scientific advancement with Western Europe.
Comment on Marie Curie
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 1 day ago
I don’t know if she kept her polish last name after marriage but in Poland it’s always Maria Skłodowska-Curie. I think it’s some kind of Polish curse that the most famous poles are not known by polish names so people don’t realize they were Polish. Curie, Chopin, Copernicus, John Paul II. Or, even worse, they are known by polish name by no one can pronounce it. The highest peak in Australia is Mt Kościuszko but Australians don’t know it’s named after polish General because they can’t even say it.
_skj@lemmy.world 1 day ago
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 1 day ago
I’ve never seen a “Maria Skłodowska-Curie street” outside of Poland. It’s always Marie Curie. It’s definitely not just USA, it’s the same in Europe.
sqgl@sh.itjust.works 14 hours ago
The highest peak in Australia is Mt Kościuszko but Australians don’t know it’s named after polish General because they can’t even say it.
Not true about Australians (and I am no patriot).
Slovene@feddit.nl 7 hours ago
But it’s NOT a pole, it’s a whole mountain, dumdum.
betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
She became famous while in France, married to a Curie, having daughters named Curie, winning Nobel prizes with her husband while there, and spending the rest of her life there. I don’t think it’s about a Polish curse, it’s about which name was more practical and natural for her to use, and being famous well beyond Poland. Curie is indeed easier to pronounce and more memorable in both French and English, and it’s common for famous people to go by their easiest name by choice (Bill vs William, John vs Jonathan, etc.). This in no way reduces her original name. Famous actors even look to have a stage (public) name to help them be more famous.
rockerface@lemmy.cafe 1 day ago
I think in Ukraine she’s also more known under the full name, from what I can remember from my school years
gnutrino@programming.dev 1 day ago
Good ole’ Mt Cozy Couscous. To be fair, no one forced the Poles to make their language unpronounceable by anyone without a lifetime’s practice or severe sinus issues.