Ada Lovelace

'''Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace''' (10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852) was an English mathematician and writer. She is known as the first computer programmer. Achievements Lovelace wrote the first computer program in 1844. It was for Charles Babbage's machine, the "Analytical Engine". This machine was never built, but her program was the first algorithm made for a computer. Between 1842 and 1843, she translated an article by Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea. She added notes with her own ideas. These notes included the first computer program. Her work is important in the early history of computers. She understood that computers could do more than just math. Others, like Babbage, thought computers could only do calculations. Childhood Ada was born on 10 December 1815. Her parents were Lord Byron, a famous poet, and Anne Isabella Milbanke. Her parents separated soon after she was born. She never knew her father. Her mother was an aristocrat and gave Ada a good education at home. She became interested in mathematics, partly because of Babbage. Later life In 1835, Ada married William King, 8th Baron King, becoming Lady King. In 1838 the Baron was made Earl of Lovelace and his wife became Lady Lovelace. They had three children. She got cholera, but survived. She also had asthma and stomach problems. She took strong painkillers, which led to an addiction to opium. She died of uterine cancer in London on 27 November 1852. Recognition The U.S. Department of Defense named Ada (programming language) in her honor. References Other websites Women in science. [2] Archived 2018-12-25 at the Wayback Machine Ada Byron, Lady Lovelace. [3]