Middle School
Worksheets
Ada Lovelace, the Computer Countess
Ada Lovelace
Reading Comprehension for December 10
"My daughter will never be a poet!" was Lady Byron's thought when her daughter was born. The lady did not want her daughter to be like her father! It seems that Lady Byron's determination bore fruit. Her daughter, Ada, became the first computer programmer instead. However, it took years for the world to recognize her work.
Ada Lovelace was born in London, England, on December 10, 1815. Her parents, Anne Isabelle Milbanke, and the famous Romantic poet, Lord Byron, had a brief marriage. Lord Byron was handsome and brilliant, but also moody and intense. The couple was unhappy. They separated a month after Ada was born. He died when Ada was 8.
Lady Byron did her best to raise her daughter alone. Fortunately, she belonged to the upper circles of London society and could afford an education for Ada. Lady Byron decided that Ada would be tutored in mathematics and music to stifle any latent poetic tendencies. Little did she know that her daughter would be as brilliant as her father in a different field.
Striking, dark-haired Ada had a privileged childhood. She had lots of energy for her many activities. She enjoyed gymnastics, dancing, and horseback riding. She learned to play the violin, the harp, and the piano. In between these activities, she went to concerts and parties. She even met the queen of England! She loved to figure out how machines worked. She became fascinated with the idea of flying. Ada's innate brilliance became obvious when she wrote a book about a flying machine when she was just 13 years old.
Ada attended a lecture by Charles Babbage when she was 18. Babbage held the position of professor of mathematics at Cambridge. He had invented a difference engine, an elaborate calculating machine. Ada found herself fascinated by the man and his invention. Ada and Professor Babbage began writing back and forth about mathematics and logic. He became her lifelong friend, and she began to help him in his work.
