Marguerite Perey

In 1939, a discovery rocked the scientific world. Right here, at the Marguerite Perey metro station, we commemorate the brilliant woman behind that discovery. Marguerite Perey, a student of Marie Curie, identified a new element: Francium. Marguerite Perey’s story began in Villemomble, just outside Paris. Although she dreamed of medicine, financial hardship led her to a chemistry diploma. This qualified her as a technician, and at just 19, she joined the Curie’s Radium Institute in Paris. Marie Curie became her mentor. Perey spent a decade painstakingly isolating actinium from uranium ore, crucial for Curie’s research. Sadly, Curie died only five years later from aplastic anemia. However, Perey persevered. She continued researching actinium with André-Louis Debierne. In 1935, she questioned American scientists’ claims about actinium emitting beta particles. The energy didn’t seem right to Perey. She theorized actinium decayed into another element, emitting beta particles from the daughter atom. Her meticulous experiments, using purified actinium, revealed alpha radiation. This radiation, involving proton loss, indicated a change in the atom’s identity. Actinium, element 89, transformed into the elusive element 87. Perey named it Francium, after her beloved France. The Marguerite Perey station stands as a reminder of her remarkable contribution to science. Perey’s dedication, despite the inherent dangers of radiation, led to advancements in nuclear chemistry. Ironically, the element she discovered, francium, is carcinogenic. Perey herself succumbed to bone cancer in 1975. Her legacy remains. The Marguerite Perey station serves as a tribute to her groundbreaking discovery, her perseverance, and her unwavering commitment to science.