What better way to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day then to look into the life of the woman behind the name.
Today, Tuesday 11 October, is Ada Lovelace Day, an international day of celebration for the achievements of women in science, engineering and maths. The day aims to increase the profile of women in STEM, create new role models for women and encourage more girls into STEM.
But who is the woman behind the name? CBR looks into the life of Ada Lovelace and brings you some interesting facts about the women regarded as the first computer programmer.
The Hon. Augusta Ada Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, by Richard Westall.
Ada was born on December 10 1815 and was the only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the notorious poet who was ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’. Byron left Ada’s mother just a month after she was born, leaving England never to return four month later.
Byron died in the Greek War of Independence when Ada was 8, yet she remained interested in her father – she was buried next to him at her request. Her mother remained bitter towards Byron throughout her life, with Ada only being shown the family portrait of her father on her twentieth birthday.