Ada Lovelace was a computer scientist who is widely considered to be the first programmer. She was born in 1815 and is known for her work on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, which was an early mechanical general-purpose computer. Lovelace wrote algorithms for the engine, which is why she is often credited as the first computer programmer. Her work was not recognized until the 1950s, but she is now celebrated as a pioneer in the field of computer science.