Suw Charman-Anderson wanted to celebrate the achievements of females and help young women find role models in STEM fields. So in 2009, she dubbed Oct. 11 Ada Lovelace Day.
"I knew loads of women in the industry, but so few of them seemed to get conference speaking slots," said Ms. Charman-Anderson, who worked in the technology industry in 2009. "People would name women who they thought should be on stage, but that never seemed to move the dial."
Ada Lovelace, a 19th century mathematician, has been described as the world's first computer programmer. She's most renowned for her work on Charles Babbage's programmable, mechanical computer.
On the first Ada Lovelace Day in 2009, thousands of women celebrated by blogging about a female they admired. This year, the holiday has expanded to encompass a speaking event in London aptly title "Ada Lovelace Day Live!"