Many imagine it was like a jigsaw—
but no, it was more like cataloging
a collection of rare, exotic birds:
examining how the plumage
of beryllium resembled magnesium,
the curve of the wing,
the clutch of their feet
on prey.
—Jennifer Gresham, “Building the Periodic Table,” Diary of a Cell
Today’s ceremony is a deliberate outreach on our part from the Panthéon to the first lady of our honored history. It is another symbol that captures the attention of our nation and the exemplary struggle of a woman who decided to impose her abilities in a society where abilities, intellectual exploration, and public responsibility were reserved for men.
—French president François Mitterrand, speech of April 20, 1995, when Marie Curie’s remains were interred at the Panthéon.