On this day in Mighty Girl history, computer-programming pioneer Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was born in 1906. Hopper was a highly-regarded professional in both academia and industry and her doctorate in mathematics, received in 1934, was a rare achievement for women at that time. However, it was only the start to a long career of challenging traditional expectations.
Her desire to make computers more accessible led her to create the compiler in 1952, which allowed English instructions, as opposed to numerical code, to be interpreted by a computer. She also co-invented the Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL), the first universal computer language to be used in business and government.
Considered by some “the first lady of software,” Grace Hopper was a visionary who consistently demonstrated her interest in pushing boundaries and exploring new territories. As she famously stated, “A ship in port is safe; but that is not what ships are built for. Sail out to sea and do new things.”
Today, an annual conference is named in her honor, the Grace Hopper Celebration Of Women In Computing Conference. Begun in 1994, this conference aims to highlight the achievements and on-going efforts of women in computing careers.
Readers eight and up can learn more about the life and work of Grace Hopper in the volume Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women.
To discover more about women in technology, visit A Mighty Girl’s book section on Science / Technology.
You can also encourage the Mighty Girls in your life to practice their STEM skills with great toys from our science and technology toy section.
