The Woman Who Invented Wi-Fi —And Was Also a Hollywood Star

Society often tries to categorize women into two groups: beauty or brains. The media often portrays this with women in STEM careers looking "unfeminine." It's a bit funny, then, that the woman considered to be the most beautiful in film was also responsible for inventing essential technology we use today.

Hedy Lamarr proved to the world that science and invention are not gendered fields. As the "Queen of Glamor," Lamarr was the inspiration for Disney's Snow White and DC's Catwoman, and as the "Mother of Wi-Fi," she became a leading lady in STEM, though recognition of her skills wouldn't come until her later years.

Early Life

In 1914, Hedy Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna, Austria. She was a naturally curious child who loved listening to her father explain how things worked. She was only 5 years old when she took apart a music box and successfully put it back together. Her brilliance was encouraged by her family, but only as a hobby.

Science and engineering were not fields women could pursue at the time, so Hedy was not able to receive an official education. While tinkering with inventions in her spare time, Hedy realized that she could use her beauty to pursue a different career. She decided to become an actress.

The Most Glamorous Actress

Before taking on the stage name Hedy Lamarr, Hedwig Kiesler was able to get small roles in a few German films. Her big break was in the controversial film, Ekstase (Ecstasy), which was too racy to be shown in the United States. But that role led her to pursue acting in Hollywood, and she would later sign a contract with MGM Studios under her new name, Hedy Lamarr.

Lamarr became one of the most glamorous actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, starring in numerous films throughout the '40s and '50s. Her most notable role was Delilah in Cecil B. DeMille's Samson and Delilah. Though she was praised for her goddess-like beauty, Lamarr was more often worried about inventing things that could make the world a better place.

A Most Brilliant Invention

When World War II began in 1939, Lamarr wanted to do more than boost morale with her looks. She knew about torpedoes and weapons systems after being married to her first husband, and arms manufacturer, Fritz Mandl. After meeting pianist and composer George Antheil, Lamarr began to think about how sound and radio waves could be used to help target German U-boats.

At the time, torpedoes used radio signals to lock onto a target, but the Germans could easily jam the frequency. Lamarr and Antheil began experimenting with the idea of ever-changing frequencies, like how a symphony is created by blending many harmonies. What they created was called "frequency hopping," and it would change the course of technology forever.

Delayed Recognition

Lamarr and Antheil would apply for a patent for their invention, the "Secret Communication System," in 1941, but the US Navy refused to use it. The press found out about Lamarr's patent and mocked her for trying to do men's work. She was told to stick with using her celebrity status to sell war bonds, and so she did. Her brilliance was cast into the shadow of her beauty and fame.

It wasn't until long after World War II that the US government would use frequency hopping to control torpedoes, and much later still would the technology become declassified to use in other areas. Lamarr's invention would transform telecommunications and lead to the Wi-Fi networks that we know today.

Awards and Acknowledgement

In 1997, 56 years after Lamarr and Antheil applied for their patent, they were awarded the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award. Antheil had passed away years before, and Hedy Lamarr would pass away just three years after receiving the recognition she had long deserved.

Lamarr, along with George Antheil, would be posthumously inducted into the National Inventors' Hall of Fame in 2014, but it feels far too late in acknowledging the true genius behind one of the essential technologies of the modern day. Lamarr showed the world that women are capable of far more than just being a pretty face. We honor her and her contributions this Women's History Month for being an incredible example of using both beauty and brains to change the world.

More From Women’s History: