Ada Lovelace had her name written in history because she was the first female programmer ever. In times when women were not fully accepted in science and technology, she proved otherwise, participating with Charles Babbage building the Analytical Engine. She is considered as the founder of scientific computing because of her valuable contributions.
She was born in London and could have easily been obscured by her famous father, the poet Lord Byron. However, he was never part of her life, as he disappeared when Ada was just one month old. He died far away when she was just a child, and she never knew him. Despite some people say Lord Byron is where her genius comes from, in fact she had more influence from her mother. Augusta Ada Byron added intelligence and more stable genes to this famous scientist.
Ada's mother inculcated her the passion for math and science in general. She was well educated and promoted a high education level in her daughter too. She hired private tutors because women were not accepted in universities at that time. Ada started her professional relationship with Charles Babbage at a young age thanks to her mother's connections. When she was just 17, Ada and her mother were invited by the scientist to take a look at the difference engine. From there, Ada's attention got caught, and she worked along the years with different mathematicians to unveil the mysteries of this machine. Eventually, her contributions were crucial to Babbage's work. She has no official recognition for more than one paper, but her findings are recognized as crucial to the end result of Baggage's efforts.
To learn more about Ada Lovelace's findings and legacy, visit the following links:
- A Century and a Half Ago, Ada Lovelace Published the First Computer Algorithms: This is an interesting article by Shannon Palus, honoring Ada Lovelace's Day. It is a holiday to celebrate other successful tech women, and an important example of Ada's legacy.
- Ada & the Analytical Engine: Find here the transcript of an article by Elisabeth Freeman about Ada Lovelace.
- Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace, Analyst, Metaphysician, and Founder of Scientific Computing: A brief bio about Ada Lovelace.
- Ada Lovelace (1815-1852): Find here a short but interesting biography about Ada Lovelace.
- Ada Lovelace at The Babbage Engine; In the frame of the Babbage's engines, here are Ada's greatest contributions to technological development.
- Ada Lovelace, the First Tech Visionary: This is an excellent article about Ada Lovelace by Betsy Morais.
- Ada Lovelace: At Craigholme you will find an excellent summary about Ada's work and life.
- Ada Lovelace's biography: Read this biography to know more about Ada and her life with a personal perspective in mind.
- Ada Lovelace's Lesson for Woman: You will find here plenty examples of how Ada's work helped women to advance their careers.
- Ada's algorithm: how Lord Byron's daughter Ada Lovelace launched the digital age: A summary of the book by James Essinger about Ada's life.
- Association for Women in Computing – Ada Lovelace Awards: Find in this site all the details about an award named after Ada Lovelace. It is an honor given to outstanding women in programming and science, and an important legacy of this outstanding woman.
- Celebrating Ada Lovelace – An Exhibition: Learn more about the tribute to Ada Lovelace organized by the Oxford University to celebrate her 200th anniversary.
- Lady Ada Lovelace and the Analytical Engine: Get the insights about the Sketch of the Analytical Engine, which is Ada's only official publication, along with other works in which Ada had important contributions.
- The Ada Developers Academy: This is a dedicated training school named after Ada to promote women's training in software development. You will find very valuable information about Ada but most of all, her legacy.
- The Ada Lovelace's bio at Famous Scientist: You can find a short bio with an extensive description of Ada's work.