Ada Lovelace (per Wikipedia) “is today appreciated as the ‘first programmer’ since she was writing programs-that is, manipulating symbols according to rules-for a machine that Babbage had not yet built. She also foresaw the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching while others, including Babbage himself, focused only on these capabilities.” Wikipedia goes on to explain:
“During a nine-month period in 1842–43, Lovelace translated Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea’s memoir on Babbage’s newest proposed machine, the Analytical Engine. With the article, she appended a set of notes. The notes are longer than the memoir itself and include (Section G) in complete detail a method for calculating Bernoulli numbers with the Engine, recognized by historians as the world’s first computer program.”
I first became aware of Ada Lovelace while in the Navy. The Department of Defense computer program “Ada” was named for her. Ada Lovelace Day, March 24th, was created by Suw Charman-Anderson to “to draw attention to women excelling in technology” by having everyone publish a post on this day about a woman in technology she or he admires.
I certainly have some fantastic role models in my PLE, so thought I would highlight them:
Then again, being surrounded by women who excell at technology is old hat with me. My twin daughters grew up digital and continue to this day to use technology. Melissa Frail is at MathWorks and Stephanie Watwood works out of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Ada would have been proud of them…and all the women listed above. They all will serve as wonderful role models for my two granddaughters, Molly and Marin.
By: 
