Raquel Welch was born on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, as Jo Raquel Tejada.
Raquel Welch
She began her career as a model in the 1950s and went on to become a popular pin-up girl in the 1960s.
Her breakthrough role came in 1966, when she starred in the film "One Million Years B.C." in a prehistoric bikini, which became an iconic image of the era.
Raquel Welch was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood in the late 1960s and early 1970s, earning a reported $10 million for her role in the film "Hannie Caulder" (1971)
She has starred in over 60 films and TV shows throughout her career, including "Fantastic Voyage" (1966), "Bedazzled" (1967), and "The Three Musketeers" (1973).
In addition to acting, Raquel Welch is also an author, having written several books on health and fitness.
She has been married four times and has two children.
The "Fantastic Voyage" star passed away at age 82 early Wednesday morning after a brief illness, a spokesperson for the actor's management company confirmed in a statement to NBC News.