Ada Lovelace
Born 1815 · Age 211
English mathematician and writer; collaborator with Charles Babbage on the Analytical Engine. Credited with the first published algorithm (often called the first computer program) and an early visionary of computing's broader possibilities.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Augusta Ada Byron
Born at Piccadilly Terrace, Middlesex (now London), only legitimate child of Lord Byron and Anne Isabella Milbanke.
Mother leaves for Kirkby Mallory with five-week-old Ada
Lady Byron left for her parents' home with the infant Ada as the marital separation began.
Lord Byron signs deed of separation and leaves England
Byron reluctantly signed separation and left England a few days later; he never reclaimed custody.
Early childhood illnesses (headaches)
By age eight Ada experienced headaches that affected her vision — an early health issue that recurs in her life.
Death of Lord Byron
Ada's father, Lord Byron, died in Greece during the Greek War of Independence when Ada was eight.
Begins 'Flyology' project (constructing wings)
At 12 she methodically researched and wrote about flight, constructed wing prototypes and planned a book, 'Flyology'; an early sign of scientific imagination.
Paralysed after measles; prolonged bed rest
In June 1829 Ada was paralysed after a bout of measles and required nearly a year of bed rest, delaying her physical education.
Walking with crutches after long illness
By 1831 Ada had recovered sufficiently to walk with crutches after her earlier paralysis and long convalescence.
Mathematical talents begin to emerge
From 1832 (age 17) Ada's mathematical abilities became notable; her mother promoted maths and logic in her education.
Affair with a tutor; attempted elopement (covered up)
Ada had an affair with a tutor in early 1833 and attempted to elope after being discovered; the incident was hushed up to avoid scandal.
Meets Charles Babbage (first meeting)
Introduced by Mary Somerville, Ada attended a Babbage Saturday evening in which she first saw his engines and met him on 5 June 1833.
Regular at Court; 'popular belle' season
By 1834 Ada was presented at Court (about age 17-18) and became a noted socialite while continuing scientific pursuits.
Marries William King (becomes Lady King)
Ada married William, 8th Baron King, on 8 July 1835; marriage brought her into the aristocracy and later the title Countess of Lovelace.
Family portrait revealed on 20th birthday
Ada was not shown the family portrait of her father until her 20th birthday (around December 1835).
Birth of first child, Byron King-Noel
Ada and William King had their first son, named Byron, in 1836 (she named children honoring her father).
Birth of second child, Anne Isabella ('Annabella')
Second child Anne Isabella (Annabella) was born in 1837; Ada subsequently suffered a long illness after this birth.
Husband created Earl of Lovelace; Ada becomes Countess
In 1838 William King was made Viscount Ockham and 1st Earl of Lovelace; Ada became Countess of Lovelace.
Birth of third child, Ralph Gordon
Their third child Ralph Gordon was born in 1839.
Babbage invited to lecture at Turin (Menabrea attends)
In 1840 Babbage gave a seminar at the University of Turin; Luigi Menabrea later transcribed and published it in French (Oct 1842).
Studies with Augustus De Morgan (1840s)
In the 1840s Augustus De Morgan provided mathematical help; he encouraged her study of advanced calculus and Bernoulli numbers.
Letter acknowledging Medora paternity allegations
On 27 Feb 1841 Ada wrote to her mother acknowledging that she had suspected Lord Byron fathered Medora Leigh, a family scandal.
Note G describes Bernoulli algorithm — called first computer program
Note G contains a detailed method for computing Bernoulli numbers on the Analytical Engine; often cited as the first published algorithm for a machine.
Dispute with Babbage over unsigned preface
Babbage attempted to leave an unsigned preface to the translation; controversy ensued when the publisher required a signature and Ada refused to withdraw her paper.
Michael Faraday publicly supported Ada's writing
Contemporary scientific figures such as Michael Faraday expressed support for Ada's work on the Analytical Engine translation and notes.
Publishes English translation of Menabrea with 'Notes' A–G
Ada translated Luigi Menabrea's French article on Babbage's Analytical Engine and added seven extensive notes (A–G); published in Sept 1843 under initials A.A.L.
Begins 'calculus of the nervous system' idea; visits Andrew Crosse
In 1844 Ada expressed desire to model how the brain gives rise to thoughts and visited electrical experimenter Andrew Crosse to learn experimental technique.
Assigned William Benjamin Carpenter as children's tutor; affair averted
In 1843–44 Carpenter was assigned to tutor Ada's children and act as moral instructor; he made advances which Ada cut off.
Horsley Towers becomes family main house (Ada designs additions)
From 1845 Horsley Towers was the family's main residence; Ada influenced later enlargements to the property.
Gambling losses in the late 1840s (~£3,000)
Ada lost more than £3,000 on horses during the later 1840s — a substantial sum that strained finances.
Ambitious gambling-syndicate mathematical betting scheme fails; debts
In 1851 Ada formed a betting syndicate and attempted to create a mathematical model for large bets; the attempt failed and left her thousands of pounds in debt.
Writes to Babbage requesting executor role
On 12 Aug 1851 Ada, gravely ill, wrote to Babbage asking him to be her executor (the letter lacked legal authority).
Confesses something to husband leading to estrangement
During her final illness Ada confessed something to her husband on 30 Aug (1852) which led him to abandon her bedside; the content is unknown.
Dies of uterine/cervical cancer
Ada Lovelace died on 27 Nov 1852 in Marylebone, London, after a months-long illness (then described as uterine cancer).
Buried next to Lord Byron at her request
Ada was buried beside her father at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire — per her request.
Notes republished in Bowden's 'Faster than Thought' (appendix)
Ada's notes on the Analytical Engine were republished in 1953 as an appendix to B. V. Bowden's anthology, renewing interest in her contributions.
Ada programming language reference approved (MIL-STD-1815)
The programming language 'Ada', developed for the US Department of Defense, had its reference manual approved on 10 Dec 1980; MIL-STD number 1815 references her birth year.
Association for Women in Computing inaugurates Ada Lovelace Award
The Association for Women in Computing created the Ada Lovelace Award in 1981 to honour women in computing.
Ada Lovelace Day established (second Tuesday in October)
Ada Lovelace Day was launched in 2009 to raise the profile of women in STEM and create role models for girls and women.
Google Doodle honours Ada on her birthday
Google featured Ada Lovelace in a Doodle and blog post on her birthday (10 Dec) in 2012, increasing public awareness.
Ada Developers Academy founded (named after Ada)
Ada Developers Academy, a program to train and diversify software developers, was founded in 2013 and named in her honour.
Bicentenary of Ada Lovelace's birth (global events)
The 200th anniversary of Ada's birth (2015) was celebrated with lectures, symposia, exhibitions and theatrical performances worldwide.
Google honours Ada as part of International Women's Day Doodle
Google included Ada in a 2017 Doodle recognizing notable women on International Women's Day, furthering public recognition.
ÑuSat micro-satellite named after Ada Lovelace (Satellogic launch)
On 2 Feb 2018 Satellogic launched a ÑuSat micro-satellite named in Ada Lovelace's honour.
US Senate designates a National Ada Lovelace Day (9 Oct 2018)
Senator Ron Wyden submitted a resolution designating 9 Oct 2018 as National Ada Lovelace Day; the resolution passed by unanimous consent.
Nvidia names 'Ada Lovelace' GPU microarchitecture
In September 2022 Nvidia announced a new GPU microarchitecture named 'Ada Lovelace' in tribute to her legacy in computing.
Statue of Ada Lovelace installed in Millbank, London
A statue honoring Ada Lovelace was installed at Millbank Quarter in Westminster and unveiled on International Women's Day, 2022.
Royal Mint issues commemorative £2 coins honoring Ada
In July 2023 the Royal Mint released commemorative coins celebrating Ada Lovelace's contributions to computing and her legacy.
Key Achievement Ages
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