In 1949, actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr significantly advanced telecommunications with her invention of frequency-hopping spread spectrum. This technology was initially designed to ensure security for radio-guided torpedoes, but it later became a cornerstone in the development of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Lamarr's contributions were pivotal in creating secure and efficient communication systems, though her work was not widely recognized initially. Her innovations have been crucial in advancing modern wireless communication.