They Glowed in the Dark. It Was Killing Them. ☢️

[!NOTE] Historical File: They Glowed in the Dark. It Was Killing Them. ☢️ Location: USA | Era: Archival History | Format: Documentary & Narrative Record

The Untold Story

This paint made watch dials glow in the dark. It also poisoned every woman who touched it.

To get a fine tip on their brush, workers were taught to lip-point, touching it to their lips between every stroke.

The Radium Girls, 1920s • Told the paint was harmless • Lip-pointed brushes constantly • Ingested radium every shift

One of them, Grace Fryer, later had a jaw that crumbled and bones that fractured on their own.

Amelia Maggia’s jaw disintegrated so badly that doctors could remove pieces of it by hand.

The company’s own doctors knew radium was killing them, and denied it publicly for years.

What the Company Knew • Company doctors saw the symptoms • Denied danger publicly for years • Workers kept painting

Grace and her coworkers sued, and won, helping create the workplace safety laws that still protect workers today. Follow for more history they don’t teach you in school.

Their Legacy • Sued and won in court • Helped create U.S. workplace safety law • Still protects workers today