Marie Curie has been named the most inspirational woman of all time

Marie Curie has been voted the most inspirational woman to ever exist, in a poll of 2,000 people.

The Polish physicist and chemist, known for her pioneering research on radioactivity, has topped a list of the 50 most inspirational women of all time.

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes.

She beat Florence Nightingale, a founder of modern nursing, who came in at second place. Anne Frank came in at third place, closely followed by Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth II and J K Rowling.

The survey was conducted by Your Life, the campaign to encourage more teenagers to study Maths and Physics post 16.

Other women who made the list include Malala Yousafzai, Beyonce, Mary Berry and Mother Theresa.

Campaign chair Edwina Dunn said: “Marie Curie and Florence Nightingale deserve this accolade of being named the most inspirational women of all time. They are two brilliant icons whose determination, intelligence and altruism, led incredible scientific advances that changed the world. We want a new generation to be inspired to follow in their footsteps.”

Here’s the entire list:

50 Most Inspirational Women

Marie Curie

Florence Nightingale

Anne Frank

Emmeline Pankhurst

Queen Elizabeth II

J K Rowling

Mother Theresa

Princess Diana

Margaret Thatcher

Jessica Ennis-Hill

Amelia Earhart

Joan of Arc

Judi Dench

Jane Austen

Michelle Obama

Queen Elizabeth I

Marie Stopes

Indira Gandhi

Rosa Parks

Theresa May

Kelly Holmes

Aung San Suu Kyi

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge

Oprah Winfrey

Ada Lovelace

Dawn French

Emma Watson

Serena Williams

Angelina Jolie

Hillary Clinton

Mary Berry

Billie Jean King

Aretha Franklin

Benazir Bhutto

Cleopatra

Karen Brady

Malala Yousafzai

Mary Quant

Maya Angelou

Marilyn Monroe

Katharine Hepburn

Billie Holiday

Debbie Harry

Venus Williams

Beyoncé

Carole King

Madonna

Bette Davis

Twiggy

Nigella Lawson