Programming Pioneer

Anyone who has used computers knows that they don’t always work the way they’re supposed to! When a computer has an error, it’s often called a bug. That term became popular after an incident in 1947 during a computer repair by computer scientist Grace Hopper. Back then, Hopper and her team were fixing a broken computer when they found an actual bug—a moth—inside it! 

The computer that Hopper was working on was one of the first in the U.S. It looked nothing like today’s computers. It filled a room at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

While serving in the U.S. Navy, Hopper had solved math equations with computers. At the time, many nations were fighting in World War II. Some of Hopper’s calculations helped to end the war. But that’s not all this trailblazer did.

Anyone who’s used computers might know this. The devices don’t always work the way they’re meant to! Computers sometimes have errors. An error is often called a bug. This term became popular in 1947. Computer scientist Grace Hopper was fixing a computer. She and her team found a moth inside. An actual bug had caused the problem!

The computer Hopper was working on was one of the first in the U.S. It looked nothing like today’s computers. It filled an entire room. It was located at Harvard University. It’s in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Hopper served in the U.S. Navy before doing research at Harvard. Many nations were fighting in World War II at the time. Hopper solved math problems with computers. Some of Hopper’s calculations helped end the war. But that’s not all this trailblazer did.

When the U.S. entered World War II, Hopper, a math and physics expert, wanted to serve her country. At first, the Navy rejected the 34-year-old Hopper for being too old and too petite. But she continued to apply, and in 1943, she left her job as a professor to join the Navy.

In 1944, Hopper joined a team using an early electric computer, the Mark I. Computers were new inventions then. They were designed to solve complex calculations quickly. Before computers, people did calculations for things like weather forecasting and navigation by hand.

Hopper, a Navy lieutenant, was one of the first women to become a computer coder. Coders program, or give instructions to, computers. Instead of typing on a computer’s keyboard like coders do today, Hopper had to punch out her code as lines of holes on paper tape. This tape was fed into the computer, which read it as instructions. Hopper programmed the Mark I to calculate missile paths and prepare ships to find and disarm underwater bombs.

Hopper was a math and physics expert. She wanted to serve her country during the war. The Navy rejected her at first. Officials thought the 34-year-old for was too old and too small. But Hopper kept applying. She left her job as a professor to join the Navy in 1943.

Hopper joined a team using an early electric computer in 1944. It was called the Mark I. Computers were new inventions then. They were designed to solve complex calculations quickly. Before computers, people did calculations by hand. They were for things like weather forecasting and navigation.

Hopper became a Navy lieutenant. She began to program, or give instructions to, computers. She was one of the first women to become a computer coder. Hopper didn’t type on a computer’s keyboard like coders do today. She punched out code as lines of holes on paper tape. This tape was fed into a computer, which read the instructions. Hopper programmed the Mark I. It could calculate missile paths. And it could prepare ships to find and disarm underwater bombs.

After Hopper mastered the Mark I, she wrote the first computer manual in 1946. She included pieces of code that could be adapted for different purposes. Coders continue to share code with others today. 

In 1951, Hopper invented a program that changed English commands into binary code, the language of computers. That helped more people communicate with computers. As companies built computers that used different coding languages, Hopper helped create a coding language that let computers talk to each other. 

After retiring in 1986, Hopper gave lectures about computers until her death at age 85. “If you ask me what I’m most proud of,” she once said, “the answer would be all the young people I’ve trained over the years.”

Hopper wrote the first computer manual in 1946. She included pieces of code. They could be changed for different purposes. Coders continue to share code with others today. 

Hopper invented a program in 1951. It changed English computer commands into binary code. That’s the language of computers. That helped more people talk with computers. New computers built by companies each used different programming languages. Hopper helped create a code that let these computers talk to each other. 

Hopper retired in 1986. She continued to teach others about computers. She did so until her death at age 85. “If you ask me what I’m most proud of, the answer would be all the young people I’ve trained over the years,” she once said.