Close friends with inventor Charle Babbage, Lovelace was intrigued by his Analytical Engine and in 1842, she translated a description of it by italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea. Babbage asked her to expand the article, “as she understood [it] so well”, and this was when she wrote several early ‘computer programs’. Ada Lovelace died of cancer at 36, her potential tragically unfulfilled.
The annual Ada Lovelace Day aims to "raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering and maths", by seeking to redress the balance by honouring the unsung heroines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and by providing opportunities for women to be heard, to be experts, and to tell the stories of those who have inspired them.
The inspiration for Ada Lovelace Day came from psychologist Penelope Lockwood, who carried out a study which found that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male role models. “Outstanding women can function as inspirational examples of success,” she said, “illustrating the kinds of achievements that are possible for women around them. They demonstrate that it is possible to overcome traditional gender barriers, indicating to other women that high levels of success are indeed attainable.”
Get involved and find out more by visiting the Finding Ada website and the Ada Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the involvement of women in the free culture and open source movements.
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