Grace Hopper

Profession: Computer Scientist and Admiral

Biography: Grace Hopper was an American computer scientist and United States Navy rear admiral who made significant contributions to the early development of computer programming languages and software. She is best known for her work on the development of the first compiler, a tool that translates human-readable programming code into machine-executable instructions, and her role in the creation of the COBOL programming language.

Hopper's work on the Harvard Mark I computer, an early electromechanical computer, led her to realize the need for a more user-friendly programming language. This insight drove her to develop the first compiler, known as A-0, which enabled programmers to write code using more human-readable language instead of machine code or assembly language.

The origin of the term "debugging" in computer programming is often attributed to Grace Hopper during her work on the Harvard Mark II computer in 1947. While troubleshooting a malfunction, Hopper and her team discovered a moth trapped in one of the computer's relays, causing the issue. After removing the moth, Hopper logged the incident in the computer's logbook, noting that they had "first actual case of a bug being found" and that they had "debugged" the computer.

In the late 1950s, Grace Hopper played a key role in the development of COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language), one of the first high-level programming languages designed for business applications. COBOL became widely adopted and is still in use today. Hopper's work in computer programming and her contributions to the development of compilers and COBOL have left a lasting impact on the field, earning her the nicknames "Amazing Grace" and "Grandma COBOL."

Born: December 9, 1906
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Horse
Star Sign: Sagittarius

Died: January 1, 1992 (aged 85)
Cause of Death: In her sleep of natural causes