Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr is a self-taught inventor and the "mother of Wi-Fi."

She patented "frequency-hopping" which is the foundation of many spread-spectrum technologies, including secure Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Lamarr came up with the idea to help Allied forces in WWII but when she approached the American Navy, they turned down her idea for being "too cumbersome." In the mid-1950's, the Navy shared her idea with a contractor and by the early 60's nearly all US torpedoes were guided by a frequency-hopping system.

Her patent didn't expire until 1959 and yet Lamarr was never compensated for her idea and didn't receive formal recognition until 1997.

Lamarr was also a famous 1940's US Hollywood actress. She never loved the celebrity lifestyle and developed a reputation for being difficult. However, she was one of the first women to own a production company and to tell stories from a female perspective. Lamarr produced 2 films herself.