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She was born in Paris, France.
She studied at the Faculty of Science at the Sorbonne but her education was interrupted by World War I during which she served as a nurse radiographer. After the War, she earned her doctorate in science, doing her thesis on the alpha rays of polonium.
In 1926 she married Frédéric Joliot and collaborated with him on natural and artificial radioactivity, transmutation of elements, and nuclear physics. In 1935 they shared the Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes (pronounced no-BELL or no-bell are awarded annually to people who have done outstanding research, invented groundbreaking techniques or equipment, or made outstanding contributions to society. It is generally regarded as the supreme comme in Chemistry. In 1938 her research on the action of neutrons on the heavy elements, was an important step in the discovery of nuclear fissionIn physics, fission is a nuclear process, meaning it occurs in the nucleus of an atom. Fission is when the nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei plus some by-products. These by-products include free neutrons and photons (usually gamma rays).. She became Professor in the Faculty of Science in Paris in 1937, and in 1946 the Director of the Radium Institute .
A peace activist, she took a keen interest in women's rights, becoming a member of the Comité National de l'Union des Femmes Françaises and of the World Peace Council. She was the Chair of Nuclear Physics at the Sorbonne, and in 1936 the government of France appointed her as the Undersecretary of State for Scientific Research and ultimately she was named an Officer of the Legion of Honour.
Irene Joliot-Curie died in Paris from leukemiaLeukemia leukaemia in international English) is a group of cancers of the blood-forming tissues. The word leukemia tends to be used as an umbrella term. In the 19th century, it was seen as one single, homogenous deadly disease, characterized by a white ap contracted in the course of her work.