Ada Lovelace Day 2026
Raise the profile of women in STEM on Ada Lovelace Day. Founded by Suw Charman-Anderson in 2009, the day is always the second Tuesday of October — Tuesday, October 13, in 2026 — and it asks people to talk publicly about women whose scientific and technical work they admire.
About Ada Lovelace Day
History & origins
Ada Lovelace Day moves. It is held every year on the second Tuesday of October. In 2026 that is Tuesday, October 13.
Suw Charman-Anderson founded the day in the United Kingdom in 2009 after online conversations about how rarely women appeared as speakers at tech conferences. She named it for Ada Lovelace (Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, 1815–1852), whose notes on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine include what many historians treat as an early published algorithm intended for a machine — a foundational story in computing history. The day’s method is visibility: blog posts, talks, classroom lessons, and events such as Ada Lovelace Day Live in London, where women in STEM describe their work in short public talks.
Charman-Anderson has cited research on role models — including work by psychologist Penelope Lockwood — as part of the motivation: women benefit from seeing outstanding women in their fields. The day is an international grassroots and organized STEM visibility campaign, not a U.S. federal holiday.
Why it matters
Talent that stays invisible does not recruit the next generation. Ada Lovelace Day is a yearly prompt to name living scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technologists — not only historical figures — so students and colleagues can see a wider picture of who belongs in STEM.
How to celebrate
Write or speak about a woman in STEM whose work you admire (with accuracy, not flattery). Share that story in a classroom, team meeting, or public post. Invite a woman colleague to give a talk and actually promote it. Organize or attend an Ada Lovelace Day event. Read Lovelace’s notes in a good historical edition if you want the namesake, then add a living role model too.
Facts
- Suw Charman-Anderson founded Ada Lovelace Day in 2009
- The day is always the second Tuesday of October
- In 2026 the second Tuesday is October 13
- It is named for Ada Lovelace, pioneer of computing ideas linked to Babbage’s Analytical Engine
- The focus is raising the profile of women in science, technology, engineering, and maths
Upcoming dates
- Tuesday, October 13, 2026
- Tuesday, October 12, 2027
- Tuesday, October 10, 2028
- Tuesday, October 9, 2029
- Tuesday, October 8, 2030
Frequently asked questions
When is Ada Lovelace Day in 2026?
Ada Lovelace Day in 2026 falls on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Is today Ada Lovelace Day?
No. Ada Lovelace Day in 2026 falls on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, not today.
What is Ada Lovelace Day?
It is an international day to celebrate and raise the profile of women in STEM by encouraging people to talk about women whose work they admire.
Who started Ada Lovelace Day?
Suw Charman-Anderson founded Ada Lovelace Day in 2009 in the United Kingdom.
How do you celebrate Ada Lovelace Day?
Name and share the work of women in STEM, host or attend talks, and use the day for mentoring and visibility — not empty slogans.
Is Ada Lovelace Day an official holiday?
It is a widely recognized STEM observance with organized events, but it is not a U.S. federal holiday. Offices and schools follow their usual Tuesday schedules unless they choose to program around it.
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