Hedy Lamarr

Hollywood actress and inventor whose frequency-hopping technology laid the groundwork for modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914, was an Austrian-American actress and inventor whose dual legacy in both entertainment and technology makes her a unique figure in history. While she dazzled audiences in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s with films like Algiers (1938) and Samson and Delilah (1949), her most enduring contribution emerged from her passion for innovation.

During World War II, Lamarr co-invented a frequency-hopping spread spectrum system with composer George Antheil. Their patent (U.S. Patent 2,292,387) aimed to prevent Allied torpedoes from being jammed by Axis forces. Though the U.S. Navy initially dismissed the idea, the technology was later adapted for secure military communications and became foundational for modern wireless systems like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

Lamarr’s story is one of breaking barriers. As a woman in male-dominated fields—both in Hollywood and STEM—she challenged stereotypes. Despite her fame, she faced skepticism about her intellectual capabilities. Only in her later years did she receive recognition, including the 1997 Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award.

Her life exemplifies how creativity transcends disciplines. As she famously said, “Improving things comes naturally to me.” Today, Lamarr is celebrated not just as a screen siren but as a pioneer of wireless communication.