to help defeat the Nazi's in World War II

Today’s Google Doodle honours a little-known but hugely influential woman whose real life was as colourful as the ones she portrayed on screen as a classical Hollywood actress.

As well as being one of the great scientific minds of her time, Austrian-born Hedy Lamarr seduced America in the Thirties, Forties and Fifties playing glamorous roles alongside great actors including Clarke Gable and Jimmy Stewart.

Lamarr's scientific discoveries also helped to pave the way for many modern day technologies including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and broadband.

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Hedy Lamarr was a beautiful actress and scientist with a life as dramatic as the ones she portrayed on screen, starring alongside great actors such as Clarke Gable and Jimmy Stewart

Today would have been her 101st birthday, and Google have marked the date with a Google Doodle to celebrate Lamarr's rich and colourful life.

Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna, Austria in 1914, she was the daughter of a banker and a pianist, and of Jewish descent.

Her first notable film appearance was in the German film Ecstasy, created in 1933, when she was 18 years old.

Today would have been her 101st birthday, and Google have marked the date with a doodle to celebrate Lamarr's rich and colourful life

Hedy Lamarr was dubbed 'the world's most beautiful woman' after seducing America with her glamorous on-screen characters in the Thirties, Forties and Fifties

Lamarr, left, in a film still from Boom Town, in which she starred alongside heartthrob Clarke Gable in 1940

The film and Lamarr's appearance in it were controversial due to the sex scene which showed the young actress portraying the first female orgasm ever to be depicted in a non-pornographic film.

In her autobiography the actress insisted that her acting had been helped by being pricked with pin by the director off-screen.

She was then married to a tyrannical wealthy military magnate, Austrian Friedrich Mandl, aged 19, who was reputed to be the third wealthiest man in Austria.

Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna, Austria in 1914, she was the daughter of a banker and a pianist

Her first notable film appearance was in the German film Ecstasy, created in 1933, when she was 18 years old. It was controversial due to the sex scene which showed the young actress portraying the first female orgasm ever to be depicted in a non-pornographic film

Her husband was said to be incredibly controlling and resented her appearance in Ecstasy, apparently buying as many copies of the film as possible to prevent others from seeing it - according to a New York Times report.

Lamarr fled Austria and even changed her name to escape her abusive husband.

She moved to Paris, where she met MGM head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood. This was to be the start of the glittering career that saw her dubbed 'the world's most beautiful woman'.

Her arms-dealer husband, who she married aged 19, was said to be incredibly controlling and resented her appearance in Ecstasy. Lamarr fled Austria and changed her name to escape him

In her film career Lamarr, pictured in Let's Live a Little in 1948, left, and for My Favourite Spy in 1951, right, was often cast as the exotic seductress but she is thought to have become bored as her roles were light on lines

In her film career she was often cast as the exotic seductress and appeared with many shining stars of the era in classic films. She was cast alongside Clarke Gable and Spencer Tracy in Boom Town (1940) and Lana Turner and Judy Garland in Ziegfeld Girl.

Lamarr is credited in a total of 35 films, but the actress was reportedly bored of the roles she was given that were often light on lines and focused on her looks.

She eventually turned to inventing as a way to relieve this boredom.

With the breakout of World War II, Lamarr grew increasingly worried by Hilter's attacks in Europe. In a bid to help the war effort and stand against Nazism, the actress turned her hand to science.

Lamarr grew increasingly worried by Hilter's attacks in Europe during World War II. In a bid to help the war effort the actress turned her hand to science. Above in the 1949 film depiction of Samson And Delilah

Hedy Lamarr with Judy Garland, left, and Lana Turner, right. The actress devised a device that allowed 'frequency hopping'. This meant the Allies' radio was harder to intercept and was used widely by the military

Lamarr may have a had a more personal reason to help defeat the German leader. In her autobiography she claimed that her former husband Mandl struck up close business ties with the Nazi government of Germany, despite having Jewish heritage.

She claimed that Hitler and the fascist Italian prime Mussolini attended parties at Mandl's home.

The Nazi's practice of jamming the radios of the Allies prompted Lamarr to devise the invention she became most famous for. She, along with composer George Antheil, created a device that allowed 'frequency hopping' which made the Allies' radio harder to intercept.

The US navy began using it in the 1960s and the same technology is still used today in our wireless phones, GPS and by the military.