Polonium was named after Poland by Marie Curie in 1898.
Marie Curie and Pierre Curie discovered polonium while investigating pitchblende, a uranium ore whose radioactivity was stronger than uranium alone could explain. They announced the discovery in July 1898 and named the new element in honour of Marie Curie’s homeland, Poland, which at that time was partitioned among neighbouring empires.
Polonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Po and atomic number 84. It belongs to the oxygen group of the periodic table. The Curies initially detected it through its intense radioactivity; isolating measurable quantities required further work because it occurs only in tiny amounts in uranium ores.
Polonium is highly toxic because its radioactive isotopes emit alpha particles. Polonium-210, with a half-life of about 138 days, is the isotope most often discussed in science and toxicology. Radium was also discovered by the Curies, but it was not named for a country.