14 Of The Most Beautiful Women Of All Time

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, making any list of the most beautiful people in history up for serious debate. Many of these women became successful thanks to their looks, so if we've piqued your curiosity, check out which women we have selected!

Italian-Tunisian Claudia Cardinale's career began when she won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" contest, which earned her a trip to Italy. Although she struggled with Italian (as the Sicilian she knew from her parents is quite different), her beauty brought her offers to model and act. Her voice was actually dubbed over in the early part of her career due to her raspy tone and a French accent. She is an outspoken supporter of women's rights, becoming a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for the defense of women in 2000.

English actress Jacqueline Bisset has starred in movies since the 1960s when she played in Hollywood blockbusters such as Bullitt. Gradually she gained recognition for being a serious actress and received more serious roles, like in François Truffaut's Day for Night. Her 1977 role in The Deep, which featured her only covered on top with a white T-shirt as she submerges from the water, soaking wet, is so iconic that it is credited with popularizing wet T-shirt competitions. Jacqueline Bisset has since played mostly in made-for-TV movies and shows.

A dancer from a young age, Brigitte Bardot moved on to acting in the '50s. She starred in the controversial Robert Vadim film, And God Created Women, which launched her to international fame in 1956. One American critic called her, "undeniably a creation of superlative craftsmanship." Brigitte Bardot's entrance onto the world scene during the conservative decade was so palpable that Simone de Beauvoir wrote a feminist essay titled Brigitte Bardot and The Lolita Syndrome. Later in life, she became an animal rights activist and, most controversially, was fined five times for inciting racial hatred.

Although not her first role, Raquel Welch became something of a pop culture phenomenon after she played in the 1966 film One Million Years B.C., in which she wore an iconic fur bikini. She later starred in movies such as 1967's Bedazzled, 1968's Bandolero! and 1969's 100 Rifles. She has continued to star in movies throughout the years, notably Legally Blond alongside Reese Witherspoon. In 2001 she received the "Imagen Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award" for positively promoting her Latin heritage.