Ada Lovelace
The First Computer Programmer
Why They Changed Society
Ada Lovelace saw the future of computing over a century before it arrived. Working with Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine in the 1840s, she wrote detailed notes that included what is recognized as the first computer program — an algorithm to compute Bernoulli numbers. More remarkably, she envisioned that computing machines could manipulate symbols and create music, going far beyond arithmetic. In an era when women were largely excluded from science, her intellectual contributions laid conceptual groundwork for the entire field of computer science. Ada Lovelace Day, celebrated annually, honors women in STEM worldwide.
Impact by the Numbers
100+
Years Ahead of Her Time
1843
First Program Written
Timeline
At age 17, met Babbage at a party and became fascinated by his Difference Engine.
Translated Luigi Menabrea's article on the Analytical Engine, adding extensive notes that tripled its length.
Published Note G, containing the first algorithm designed for machine execution — the first computer program.
The US Department of Defense named its new programming language 'Ada' in her honor.
Key Contributions
First Computer Program (1843)
Wrote the first algorithm intended for machine execution, computing Bernoulli numbers on the Analytical Engine.
Vision of General-Purpose Computing
Foresaw that computers could process symbols, compose music, and go far beyond arithmetic.
Computing as a Science
Her notes established computing as a discipline worthy of rigorous study, bridging mathematics and imagination.
Notable Quotes
“The Analytical Engine weaves algebraical patterns just as the Jacquard loom weaves flowers and leaves.
— Notes on the Analytical Engine, 1843
“That brain of mine is something more than merely mortal, as time will show.
“Imagination is the Discovering Faculty, pre-eminently. It is that which penetrates into the unseen worlds around us, the worlds of Science.