Discovery of curium

Curium was discovered in 1944 by scientists Glenn T. Seaborg, Albert Ghiorso, and Stanley G. Thompson during research on nuclear reactions. They bombarded uranium atoms with neutrons in a nuclear reactor, transforming some into new, heavier elements. One of these, with atomic number 96, was named curium after Marie and Pierre Curie, pioneers in radioactivity research. This discovery expanded understanding of the periodic table and radioactive elements, leading to potential applications in space exploration, medicine, and scientific research.