Hedy Lamarr

Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler to a wealthy Jewish family in Vienna, Hedy Lamarr’s origin story is as undeniably Jewish as a bagel with lox. Her parents, Emil Kiesler and Gertrud "Trude" Kiesler (née Lichtwitz), were both from Jewish families. While she later converted to Catholicism, her roots were firmly planted in the tribe, making her a classic example of "born Jewish, but...".

Lamarr’s early film career in Europe was marked by controversy, most notably her role in the 1933 Czech film Ecstasy, where she appeared nude. But it was in Hollywood that she became "the most beautiful woman in the world," starring in numerous films like Algiers and Samson and Delilah. She certainly had the "kvell" factor on the silver screen.

However, it was her off-screen life that truly secured her legendary status. During WWII, she co-invented an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping with composer George Antheil, initially intended for radio-guided torpedoes. This groundbreaking work laid the foundation for modern technologies like Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. So, yes, the next time you're streaming cat videos, you can thank a Jew (even a formerly Jewish one) for making it possible.