The world's first computer programmer wasn't a modern tech geek, but an English countess from the 1840s.
Her name was Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron.
She worked alongside the mathematician Charles Babbage, who designed a theoretical machine called the Analytical Engine.
While Babbage focused on the hardware, Lovelace saw its true potential. She realized the machine could do far more than just calculate numbers.
In 1843, she published a series of notes that included an algorithm for the machine to compute Bernoulli numbers. This is recognized today as the world's very first computer program.
She wrote this complex program for a computer that had not even been built. It existed only as a design on paper.
Lovelace envisioned a future where machines like the Analytical Engine could create music, art, and be used for all sorts of scientific purposes. She called this concept "poetical science."
Her work was largely forgotten for a century, but she is now credited as a foundational figure in computing history. The programming language 'Ada', developed for the U.S. Department of Defense, was named in her honor.
Sources: Computer History Museum, Biographical studies of Ada Lovelace