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Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the English poet Lord Byron. She was taught by Mary Somerville, a well-known researcher and scientific author, who introduced her to Charles Babbage in 1833. Babbage was a respected English mathematician and mechanical engineer who first had the idea for a programmable computer.
In 1842 and 1843, Ada translated the work of an Italian mathematician, Luigi Menabrea, on Babbage's Analytical Engine. Babbage worked on it for many years until his death in 1871. However, because of financial, political, and legal issues the engine was never built. The design of the machine was very modern; it anticipated the first completed general-purpose computers by about 100 years.
When Ada translated the article, she added some notes which specified in detail a method for calculating certain numbers with the Analytical Engine, which have since been recognized by historians as the world’s first computer program. She also saw possibilities in it that Babbage hadn’t. Indeed, she recognized that the machine had applications beyond mere calculation; composing pieces of music was one of them.
Lack of money was the main reason why the building of the Analytical Engine was not carried out.