Ada Lovelace: The World's First Programmer (Historical Biography)

Ada Lovelace is widely recognized as the world's first computer programmer — despite living in an era long before modern computers existed.

Early Life and Background

Ada was born Augusta Ada Byron in 1815. She was the only legitimate child of the famous poet Lord Byron and his wife, Anne Isabella Milbanke. After her parents separated when she was very young, Ada was raised by her mother, who encouraged her interest in mathematics and logic — subjects that were unusual for women at that time.

Meeting Charles Babbage

In the 1830s, Ada met Charles Babbage, a mathematician and inventor who designed the Analytical Engine, an early mechanical general-purpose computer concept.

Writing the First Algorithm

In 1843, Ada translated an article written by Luigi Menabrea about Babbage's engine. She added extensive notes — longer than the original article — that included an algorithm to compute Bernoulli numbers using the machine.

This algorithm is now considered the first computer program ever written.

Legacy

• Ada foresaw that computers could do more than just calculations — they could manipulate symbols and create music or art.
• The programming language Ada, created in the 1980s, was named in her honor.
• She is celebrated as a visionary who anticipated many modern computing concepts.