Dr. Ruth Westheimer is celebrating her 87th birthday, and is still educating the public about sex. She certainly knows more than your average teenager, and can be depended upon for some of the best advice on the touchy topic. 

However, Dr. Ruth wasn't always famous or wealthy. Many people are not aware that she had a long road filled with sacrifice and hard work to get to her iconic status. It's been a grand journey since she left Germany as a young girl, and couples everywhere have her to thank for their happiness. 

What other tidbits can you learn about the good doctor? Check them out here:

1. Dr. Ruth was sent to an orphanage

As a young girl Ruth boarded the kindertransport and never came home again. As the Nazi's took over Germany, her Orthodox Jewish family fled, sending her to safety in Switzerland. Ruth ended up at a school with other German refugee children, therefore changing over to an orphanage. Ruth never saw her family again.

2. She's a trained sniper

Don't mess with this little lady. After World War II, Ruth was 17 and really had no where to go, so she moved to what was then Palestine (now Israel) and joined the paramilitary organization Haganah. Ruth trained to be a sniper, and was said to excel at the position.

3. She didn't wait until her wedding night

Dr. Ruth lost her virginity as a young woman on a kibbutz in Israel, and not with her first boyfriend, whom she nicknamed "Putz." Guess all of the farming, studying, and communal living can get some people hot and bothered!

4. She taught kindergarten

Before teaching adults the birds and bees, Dr. Ruth was teaching little ones the ABCs. Dr. Ruth started off her teaching career in Paris after her sniper duties in Israel. She did this by simultaneously studying for a degree in psychology at the Sorbonne.

5. And still teaches at Columbia University

Dr. Ruth earned her doctorate in community and family studies from Columbia University's Teachers College. Now she is on the other side of the desk as an adjunct professor of education at the prestigious university. 

6. She's social media savvy

Apparently, a lot of people are looking for advice, and in the social media age, where better to get instant answers than Twitter? @AskDrRuth, has over 85,000 followers. She also launched a YouTube channel several years ago, answering questions followers post directly to the page. 

7. She doesn’t believe in "hooking up"

Call Dr. Ruth old fashioned, but this lady—twice divorced and once widowed—believes in developing good, old-fashioned relationships before getting between the sheets. She's got 87 years of relationship experience, so we think she may know what she is talking about.

8. She knows all about Christian Grey

Dr. Ruth is an avid reader, and yes, she has read all three of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" books. However, she said she did not see the movie. What did Dr. Ruth think about the bestsellers? On her YouTube channel, she gave quite the endorsement: 

“If (Christian Grey) were available and if I were much, much younger and not married, let’s say, I would also go for a night with him...because he has a plane, he has a helicopter, and he knows how to deal with women."

9. She thought short ladies couldn't procreate

At 4 feet 7 inches tall, Dr. Ruth thought she was too short to do many things. Her height made her insecure about romance and finding a husband (which she succeeded at three times). She also thought that being short would make it more difficult to conceive. This was not the case, as she has two children.  

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