You will be given a trivia clue, and the category it belongs to. You should answer with the best answer that belongs in the category and is described by the clue. For simplicity, answers should be in all lower cased letters.

Category: COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD 
Clue: The 3 most populous countries, they added up to an estimated 2.42 billion people in 1996
china, india, & the usa

Category: NOTABLE WOMEN 
Clue: Denied a college education in her own country, in 1903 she became the first woman in France to earn her doctorate
marie curie

Category: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA 
Clue: In the 1958 edition, this man penned the article on ventriloquism

edgar bergen