Women who changed the tech world

International Women’s Day is coming up soon. And to celebrate the occasion on the 8th of March, we’ve made a list of ten of the most influential women who have helped shape the world of technology.

The ground-breaking research and work carried out by these tech trailblazers led to the creation of everything from the internet and Wi-Fi to smart security systems. Even space travel wouldn’t have been possible if not for some of the names on our list!

If you can believe it, the very first computer programmer was born in 1815. And her name was Ada Lovelace — the daughter of renowned poet Lord Byron. Lovelace was a remarkable mathematician who worked on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine (considered the world’s first computer) and created what’s believed to be the first ever algorithm — ‘Note G’.

To commemorate her contributions and the achievements of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) careers, Ada Lovelace Day is celebrated on every second Tuesday in October. So, make sure to jot it down in your calendar!

Can you now imagine our world without the internet? Well, if it wasn’t for Radia Perlman (nicknamed the “Mother of the Internet”), you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. Born in 1951, Perlman is a computer programmer who invented the Spanning Tree Algorithm and Protocol. In a nutshell, this formed the fundamentals for the operation of network bridges and established the basic rules of internet traffic.

Hedy Lamarr was a household name during Hollywood’s golden age. But did you know that she loved inventing things when she wasn’t filming for the silver screen? And she was completely self-taught, too.

During the second world war, Lamarr and avant-garde composer George Antheil thought up a clever communication system which helped make Allied radio-guided torpedoes harder for the Axis powers to detect or jam. And it was their work that later inspired frequency hopping technologies we use today — like Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth.

In 1973, Shirley Ann Jackson became first black woman ever to earn a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). But it was her research into theoretical physics that led to some huge technological breakthroughs that we simply couldn’t function without today. Jackson’s work enabled others to invent everything from the touch-tone telephone to solar cells, fibre optic cables, and the tech behind caller ID.

In 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. But his landmark achievement wouldn’t have been possible if not for the efforts of mathematician Katherine Johnson. Her calculations of orbital mechanics at NASA were essential in the success of the USA’s early crewed spaceflights. So much so, that when awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, Johnson recalled Glenn saying: “If she says they’re good (Katherine's numbers), then I am ready to go.”

Computers probably wouldn't be as easy to use today if not for the wonderful work of Adele Goldberg. A key member of the Xerox PARC research team, Goldberg's contributions to the Smalltalk-80 programming language led to the development of graphical user interfaces (GUI) in computers.

You know those windows, menus, and icons we click on every day? Yep, it was Goldberg who brought these ideas to life. Her concepts for the Xerox Alto computer are also what inspired Apple’s very first computer.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are always the first names that come to mind when we think about the first moon landing in 1969. But Margaret Hamilton’s critical work as a software engineer (a term she herself coined) was vital in the success of NASA’s legendary Apollo program, with the code that Hamilton and her team wrote at MIT helping Apollo 11 touchdown on the Moon’s surface.

Annie Easley was an African American computer scientist and mathematician. Over her 34-year career, she worked on everything from NASA rocket systems to developing codes that analysed alternative power technologies — including the battery tech used for early hybrid vehicles. Her contributions to NASA’s Centaur project also helped in launching future satellites and space vehicles, including the Cassini to Saturn in 1997.

But Easley also spent her career advocating for equal opportunities in technology for people of all backgrounds. Her work not only had a huge impact on the field of science, but on society as a whole.

Have you got a smart security system at home? Well, you can thank Marie Van Brittan Brown for that. She was a nurse who developed the first home security system in the ‘60s with her electrician husband Albert Brown, as a way of feeling safer in their crime-ridden New York neighbourhood.

The couple’s first prototype was basically a peephole camera connected to some monitors, with a mic that they could shoo away intruders with. But they later innovated a remote-controlled door locking mechanism and a panic alarm. When the couple were awarded their patent in 1969, Marie’s name came first.

 Elizabeth Feinler was heavily involved in the early development of the internet. She held an influential director role at the Network Information Centre (NIC) in California between 1972 and 1989, but is perhaps best known for helping to create the Domain Name System (DNS). This is what lets us access websites by using easy-to-remember domain names instead of complex IP addresses. So, you can thank her for dot coms, dot nets and the like!

To celebrate International Woman’s Day, we’re giving one lucky winner the chance to win a £100 Currys gift card. 

To enter, simply reply below and tell us about the most important woman in your life

Once you’ve added your comment, you’ll be entered into the draw!

Entries close at 23:59 on 18th March 2024. A winner will be chosen at random, and we'll announce the lucky iD community member shortly after.

We’ll notify the winner by direct message here on the Community, so please keep an eye on your inbox.

Good luck!