Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (Ada Lovelace)

Born to the famously scandalous Lord Byron and the mathematically inclined Anne Isabella Milbanke, Ada Lovelace had a childhood designed to prevent her from inheriting her father's poetic madness. Instead, she was steeped in science and mathematics, which, as it turns out, is also a pretty good way to invent new things. Who knew that avoiding poetry could lead to algorithms?

Lovelace's most significant contributions came through her collaboration with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine. While Babbage was busy designing the hardware, Lovelace was envisioning its software potential, publishing notes that contained what is widely considered the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine. She basically invented coding before computers even properly existed, which is impressive, even for a countess.

So, while she was definitively not Jewish—unless her famous father had some hidden ancestral secrets he forgot to mention (unlikely given his propensity to mention everything)—her pioneering work in computer science brings immense nachas to anyone who appreciates modern technology. We can all thank Ada when our smartphones occasionally decide to work.