Happy Ada Lovelace Day!

Meet Ada Lovelace, one of the world's first computer programmers. Ada was born on December 10, 1815 in London, England to famous poet and philanderer Lord Byron and mathematician Annabel Milbanke. At five weeks old, Ada's parents separated and she was raised by her single mother. Unlike her father, Ada studied mathematics, not literature. Ada's wealth and class in London's high society gave her access to the best private tutors money could buy and the brightest minds in England. Among the prominent thinkers was her mentor, mathematician Charles Babbage. At 17, Babbage introduced Ada to computer science and they became close colleagues despite their age difference. He was 43. At 19, Ada married William King in 1835 and gave birth to three children. Being a young mother did not stop Ada's work. At 27, Ada worked with Babbage to translate an article on the analytical engine. Her supplemental notes contained the first computer program algorithm intended to be processed by a machine. She unknowingly wrote the world's first published lines of computer code by hand. At 36, Ada's big breakthrough in computer science went largely unnoticed and she died of uterine cancer. Ada's brilliance defied the rules and expectations of what it means to be a woman and a scientist. Imagine the possibilities when women and gender expansive folks have access to an education, tutors, mentors, and financial support just like Ada Lovelace. Happy Ada Lovelace Day!