Hedy Lamarr
Hollywood star who co-invented frequency hopping, a forerunner of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Lived
- 85 yrs
- 1914 – 2000
- Works listed
- 3
- Film, Patent
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 2014
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American film star who, with composer George Antheil, patented a frequency-hopping system in 1942 to stop radio-guided torpedoes being jammed. The principle of spread-spectrum communication later became part of technologies such as Bluetooth and GPS, and she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.
Biography
Early life
Born Hedwig Kiesler in Vienna to a Jewish banking family, she became an actress in Europe. Her first husband, an arms dealer, took her to meetings where weapons technology was discussed. She left him and moved to Hollywood in 1937.
Hollywood star
Signed by MGM and renamed Hedy Lamarr, she starred in films such as Algiers (1938) and Samson and Delilah (1949) and was often described as the most beautiful woman in films.
Frequency hopping
During the Second World War she and the composer George Antheil devised a way to switch a radio signal rapidly between frequencies in a pattern known only to sender and receiver, using a mechanism like a player-piano roll. They patented it in 1942 and gave it to the US Navy, which did not use it then.
Recognition
Spread-spectrum techniques were later used in military and civilian communications. Lamarr received the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award in 1997, three years before her death in 2000.
Timeline
-
1914
Born in Vienna, Austria
-
1933
Gains fame in the Czech film Ecstasy
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1937
Moves to Hollywood
-
1938
Stars in Algiers
-
1942
Frequency-hopping patent granted
-
1949
Samson and Delilah
-
1997
EFF Pioneer Award
-
2000
Dies in Florida
-
2014
National Inventors Hall of Fame
-
2000
Died, aged 85
Notable works
-
1938
Algiers Film
-
1949
Samson and Delilah Film
-
1942
Secret Communication System Patent
With George Antheil.
Awards and honours
-
EFF Pioneer Award
1997
-
National Inventors Hall of Fame
2014
Did you know?
-
1
Her patent was granted under her married name, Hedy Kiesler Markey.
-
2
She also sold war bonds, raising millions of dollars.
-
3
Her birthday, 9 November, is celebrated as Inventors’ Day in German-speaking countries.
Frequently asked
Who is Hedy Lamarr?
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American film star who, with composer George Antheil, patented a frequency-hopping system in 1942 to stop radio-guided torpedoes being jammed. The principle of spread-spectrum communication later became part of technologies such as Bluetooth and GPS, and she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.
When did Hedy Lamarr die?
Hedy Lamarr died on 19 January 2000 at the age of 85.
Where is Hedy Lamarr from?
Hedy Lamarr was born in Vienna, Austria.
What is Hedy Lamarr known for?
Hedy Lamarr is best known for Hollywood films of the 1930s–40s; co-inventing frequency-hopping spread spectrum (1942).
What awards has Hedy Lamarr received?
Notable honours include EFF Pioneer Award (1997), National Inventors Hall of Fame (2014).
References
- Hedy Lamarr — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Hedy Lamarr — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Hedy Lamarr — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Hedy Lamarr — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. hedylamarr.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Hedy Lamarr (Q49034) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Hedy Lamarr”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Hedy Lamarr.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/hedy-lamarr
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