How Marie Curie Used Mobile X-Rays to Save Lives in World War I

When people think of Marie Curie, they often think of her Nobel Prize–winning discoveries in radioactivity. But one of her most impactful contributions came during World War I, when she helped bring X-ray imaging directly to the battlefield.

At the time, doctors struggled to locate bullets and shrapnel in wounded soldiers. Surgery was often slow, imprecise, and life-threatening.

Curie changed that.

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She developed mobile radiography units—later known as “Little Curies”—that could travel to field hospitals. These vehicles allowed doctors to see inside the body in real time, dramatically improving treatment and survival rates.

A Mother and Daughter on the Front Lines

Curie’s work became a family mission. Her daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, joined her in operating the X-ray units and training others.

Together, they established radiology programs, equipped over 200 units, and trained technicians—many of them women—to use this new technology under wartime conditions.

It’s estimated that more than a million soldiers benefited from these mobile X-ray services.

A Lasting Medical Legacy

Today, X-ray imaging is a standard diagnostic tool around the world. Curie’s wartime innovation helped transform it from a scientific discovery into a practical, life-saving medical technology.

Her legacy is not only in what she discovered—but in how she applied science to save lives.

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