Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper was a computer scientist and naval officer who pioneered computer technology and helped create the first commercial electronic computer.

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Profession :

Computer Scientist

Birthday :

December 9, 1906

Death Date:

January 01, 1992

Age :

85

Grace Hopper, an American computer scientist and naval officer, is renowned for her substantial contributions to the development of COBOL, one of the earliest high-level programming languages. She also played a crucial role in advancing the use of compilers, which are software tools that convert programming code into machine-readable format. Among Hopper’s most notable accomplishments are the creation of the first compiler in 1952 and her participation in the development of the UNIVAC I computer, a groundbreaking electronic computer. In recognition of her work, she received the National Medal of Technology in 1991 and was posthumously honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

As a leader in the computing field, Hopper was a strong advocate for computational science education. She is also well-known for coining the term “debugging” after extracting a moth from the Harvard Mark II computer in 1947. Some of her other significant achievements include being among the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer, inventing one of the initial linkers, and earning the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award in 2022 for her contributions to data center networks. A fascinating aspect of Grace Hopper’s career is her pioneering work in computer technology, particularly her involvement in the development of UNIVAC I, the first commercial electronic computer.