Science · Politics · 1897–1956

Irène Joliot-Curie — Age, Birthday & Biography

Born: 12 September 1897 · Died: 17 March 1956 · Age at death: 58

How old was Irène Joliot-Curie when she died?

Irène Joliot-Curie died aged 58. She was born on 12 September 1897 and died on 17 March 1956.

French chemist, daughter of Marie Curie, who discovered artificial radioactivity with her husband and won the Nobel Prize

Did you know?She was the daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie, making her part of the family with the most Nobel Prizes in history.

Quick facts

  • Date of birth12 September 1897
  • Date of death17 March 1956
  • Age at death58
  • Cause of deathLeukemia
  • NationalityFrench
  • Birthplace13th arrondissement of Paris, France
  • Occupationphysicist, chemist, professor

Editor's Take:

Irène Joliot-Curie carried her family's science into a new era. She was the elder daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie. As a teenager in the First World War, she helped her mother run mobile X-ray units for wounded soldiers. She married the physicist Frédéric Joliot, and they worked as a team. In 1934 they made the first artificial radioactive elements. That discovery won them the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935. She also served in France's government as one of its first women ministers. Like her mother, she died of leukaemia linked to radiation.

Irène Joliot-Curie (French:; née Curie; 12 September 1897 – 17 March 1956) was a French chemist and physicist who received the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with her husband, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, for their discovery of induced radioactivity. The couple also discovered positron emission during their research.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile

Irène Joliot-Curie: Nobel-Winning Chemist

French scientist, 1897–1956

Irène Joliot-Curie was born in Paris on 12 September 1897.

She was the daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie.

She shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935.

She died in Paris on 17 March 1956, aged 58.

Career highlights

  1. 1914X-ray units: wartime service
  2. 1926Marriage: Frédéric Joliot
  3. 1934Artificial radioactivity: discovered
  4. 1935Nobel Prize: Chemistry
  5. 1936Government: under-secretary for research

Did you know?The Curies are the family with the most Nobel Prizes, five in total.

Age at death
58
Would be
129
Years since death
70

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Frequently asked questions

When is Irène Joliot-Curie's birthday?
Irène Joliot-Curie's birthday is September 12. She was born on September 12, 1897 in 13th arrondissement of Paris, France.
How old was Irène Joliot-Curie when she died?
Irène Joliot-Curie died on March 17, 1956, aged 58.
Who shares a birthday with Irène Joliot-Curie?
Famous people who share Irène Joliot-Curie's September 12 birthday include Stanisław Lem, Paul Walker, Emmy Rossum, Jesse Owens and Francis I of France.

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Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026