Augusta Ada King is celebrating her 197th birthday today, and Google is making a tribute.
Known also as Ada Byron, she went by the name Ada Lovelace after marrying William King and became Countess of Lovelace.
But what marks her significance?
Lovelace is the first computer programmer.
Lovelace, a 19th century mathematician, translated and recognized notes that became the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine, according to The Guardian.
The notes were instructions for Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical computer, known as the Analytical Engine, and it calculated Bernoulli's numbers. During this time, she knew something more could come out of the equations.
"Supposing, for instance, that the fundamental relations of pitched sounds in the science of harmony and of musical composition were susceptible of such expression and adaptations, the engine might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent," stated Lovelace.
What Lovelace ultimately imagined was a system that could handle a variety of tasks.
Lovelace's life was cut short as she died from uterine cancer at the age of 36 in 1852.
Kevin Laughlin designed the Google Doodle. To commemorate her 197th birthday, the Google Doodle features how computer technology has evolved since her time, from the Analytical Engine to modern day laptops and tablets.
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