The world’s first programmer
Ada Lovelace Day falls on the second Tuesday of October, which lands on October 13 in 2026, and celebrates the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering, and math. It is named for Ada Lovelace, the nineteenth-century mathematician who worked with Charles Babbage on his proposed Analytical Engine. Her notes included what many consider the first published algorithm intended for a machine, and she grasped that such a device could do far more than crunch numbers.
Why her insight still matters
Lovelace imagined that a computing machine might one day manipulate symbols of any kind, not just arithmetic, a strikingly modern idea for the 1840s. The day, founded in 2009, uses her story to spotlight the many women in technical fields whose contributions have too often gone unnoticed. It also aims to encourage the next generation to see these careers as theirs for the taking.
Ways to celebrate
Try writing a little code, even if you never have before; free, beginner-friendly tools make a first program genuinely fun, whether you start with a visual language for kids or a few lines of Python. Read about women who shaped computing, from the early software pioneers to the engineers behind today’s systems. If you know a girl who likes puzzles and building, encourage her to tinker, since the encouragement matters as much as the tools.
Hands-on with technology
This is a great day to open up how technology actually works. A kid-friendly coding robot turns programming into something you can watch move across the floor, and a beginner electronics or single-board-computer kit invites real projects rather than passive screen time. A clear, patient programming book can take a curious beginner a long way. October 13 celebrates a woman who saw the future of computing before the hardware even existed, and invites the rest of us to keep building it.
Widening the field
Ada Lovelace Day is ultimately about who gets to shape technology. The tools we build reflect the people who build them, so a narrow field tends to miss problems and opportunities a broader one would catch. Encouraging more women and girls into computing is not only fair; it makes for better technology. You can help in small ways, by mentoring, by amplifying overlooked work, or simply by taking a young person’s projects seriously. October 13 is a reminder that the future of computing is still being written, and that more hands on the keyboard make it richer.
How to celebrate
- 1Learn Ada Lovelace's story
Read about the mathematician who wrote what many consider the first machine algorithm. Her insight that computers could handle more than numbers was ahead of its time. It is a short, surprising history well worth an hour.
- 2Try writing code
Free, beginner-friendly tools make a first program genuinely fun, whether a visual language for kids or a few lines of Python. You do not need any background to start. Celebrate the moment your code first runs.
- 3Read about women in tech
From early software pioneers to today's engineers, these stories are often overlooked. A good book brings them vividly to life. Share one you enjoy with a friend.
- 4Encourage a girl who tinkers
If a girl in your life likes puzzles and building, cheer her on and give her room to explore. Encouragement matters as much as any kit. Ask about her projects and take them seriously.