Programmers play a vital role in getting our computers to do the things we want them to do. But was the first programmer a lady?
IT IS difficult to imagine the world today without the presence of technology and computers to help organise our day-to-day tasks. Computer programmers have transformed the way we live and advancements in technology are only set to accelerate. Amid the fast-paced changes, claims have emerged that modern programmers owe much of what they know today to a woman.
Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
Born on Dec 10, 1815, British mathematician Ada Lovelace is widely credited with being the world’s first computer programmer.
She was raised by a single mother, who insisted that she learn mathematics, a form of education considered unusual for women at the time.
In 1833, a 17-year-old Lovelace met Charles Babbage, a fellow mathematician who had designed the calculating machine known as the 'difference engine'.
Lovelace became inspired by the machine and soon became lifelong friend of Babbage, who was working on a more advanced calculating machine.
Watercolour portrait of Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, c. 1840, possibly by Alfred Edward Chalon.
In 1843, Lovelace translated from French an academic paper by Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea about analytical engines.
She added extensive notes of her own to it, realising that the machine could carry out complex sequences of mathematical operations.
In one example, she wrote how it could calculate the Bernoulli numbers, which was regarded by historians as the first computer program.
She even theorised that these sequences could be used to produce music in the future.
Lovelace died of cancer in 1852, but not before inventing what is now known as the 'Ada programming language'.
Today, the second Tuesday in October is celebrated as Ada Lovelace Day, in honour of the contributions made by women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Reference:
1. https://www.britannica.com/story/ada-lovelace-the-first-computer-programmer
2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ada-Lovelace
3. https://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/adalovelace/
4. https://findingada.com/#:~:text=Tuesday%2010%20October%202023&text=Find%20out%20more%20about%20our,engineering%20and%20maths%20(STEM)
