Submitted by Ms. Tess!
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by April Chu, tells the amazing life story of one of history’s most important inventors, that not many people have heard of, Ada Lovelace! As the daughter of Lady and Lord Byron (the famous poet), Ada grew up with a love and passion for math and science, however she was troubled by poor health. She did not let that stop her though. She continued to invent, learn, and explore, despite her health problems, and as an adult she continued to pursue her interests in math and science, despite it being the popular belief at the time (the early 1800’s) that these were not appropriate pursuits for women. She impressed famous mathematician Charles Babbage. He invented the first mechanical calculator, the Difference Engine, and he and Ada collaborated on plans for the first mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine. Ada created the algorithm, or instructions by which the computer would solve complex problems, essentially making her the world’s first computer programmer! See this book listed in our catalog
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