Ada Lovelace (London, 1815 – 1852) showed an interest in science and mathematics from an early age, a love that was passed on to her by her mother, Annabella Byron, a mathematician and writer. When he was older, Lovelace was able to see the potential of the Analytical Engine that was being developed by the mathematician Babbage and wrote instructions for it to perform calculations on its own based on a sequence of logical operations. The language that Lovelace came up with to instruct the machine is considered the first algorithm in history, and the Analytical Engine the forerunner of modern computers.
Lovelace never got to see the machine built, but his ideas laid the foundation for programming and software in the computer age. That is why every year, since 2009, Lovelace is remembered on Ada Lovelace Day celebrated on the second Tuesday of October. During the day, everything that women have achieved in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is commemorated.