• ExLisperA
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    2 days ago

    I don’t know if she kept her polish last name after marriage but in Poland it’s always Maria Skłodowska-Curie. I think it’s some kind of Polish curse that the most famous poles are not known by polish names so people don’t realize they were Polish. Curie, Chopin, Copernicus, John Paul II. Or, even worse, they are known by polish name by no one can pronounce it. The highest peak in Australia is Mt Kościuszko but Australians don’t know it’s named after polish General because they can’t even say it.

    • gnutrino@programming.dev
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      2 days ago

      Good ol’ Mt Cozy Costco. To be fair, no one forced the Poles to make their language unpronounceable by anyone without a lifetime’s practice or severe sinus issues.

    • _skj@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Looks like she continued to use her maiden name throughout her life. American schools seem to always use her French name, including using Marie instead of Maria. Partially because Americans can’t pronounce Polish names. And likely a significant cultural bias towards associating scientific advancement with Western Europe.

      • ExLisperA
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        2 days ago

        I’ve never seen a “Maria Skłodowska-Curie street” outside of Poland. It’s always Marie Curie. It’s definitely not just USA, it’s the same in Europe.

    • sqgl@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      The highest peak in Australia is Mt Kościuszko but Australians don’t know it’s named after polish General because they can’t even say it.

      They pronounce it their own way and they do know it is a pole. Are you suggesting they think it is an Anglo-Saxon name? Like Jonno Kościuszko?