Hedy Lamarr (then known as Hedwig Kiesler) just before she famously fled to London and Hollywood, Salzburg, Austria, 1935 Before becoming one of Hollywood's most glamorous stars, Hedy Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna in 1914. Her international breakthrough came in the controversial 1933 Czech film Ecstasy, but after marrying Austrian arms manufacturer Fritz Mandl, she found herself isolated from her acting career. Mandl entertained senior military and political figures, exposing Lamarr to discussions about weapons technology that would later influence her own scientific ideas. In 1937, Lamarr escaped her marriage, traveled to London, and met MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer, who persuaded her to move to the United States and adopt the name Hedy Lamarr. She quickly became one of Hollywood's biggest stars, appearing in films including Algiers, Boom Town, Samson and Delilah, and White Cargo. In 1941, Lamarr and composer George Antheil patented a "frequency-hopping" communication system designed to prevent radio-guided torpedoes from being jammed. Although not adopted during World War II, the concept became a foundation for modern wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. #drthehistories