I nearly forgot that the second Tuesday in October is Ada Lovelace Day! I wanted to get this message out before the day had come and gone.
She’s best known for producing what’s considered to be the definitive documentation for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, which was then only a proposed design that could not have been built with the tools of that era. She also realized that the Engine, primitive as it was, could have applications beyond just number-crunching. For the work she did, she’s considered to be the first computer programmer, and I also consider her the first to do my current job of developer advocate.
Today, Ada Lovelace Day commemorates and celebrates the work of women in STEM — that is, science, engineering, technology, and math. Ada Lovelace Day will probably be over by the time you read this, but nothing’s stopping you from some belated celebration!