Grace Hopper was an American computer scientist and naval officer who is credited with developing the first compiler, a program that translates human-readable code into machine-readable code. Her work on compilers revolutionized computer programming and paved the way for the development of modern programming languages.
Hopper was born in New York City in 1906 and earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics from Vassar College in 1928. She went on to earn a master's degree and PhD in mathematics from Yale University, where she studied under the famous mathematician and computer pioneer, John von Neumann.
During World War II, Hopper joined the United States Navy and worked on the Harvard Mark I computer project. She was one of the first programmers to work on the Mark I, which was a massive electromechanical computer used for military calculations. Hopper's work on the Mark I led to her development of the first compiler, which she called the A-0 system.
After the war, Hopper continued to work on computer programming and language development. She played a key role in the development of COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language), which is still widely used in business and government computing today. Hopper was also instrumental in the development of the UNIVAC I computer, which was the first commercial computer in the United States.
Throughout her career, Hopper was a champion of women in technology and worked to promote the field of computer science to a wider audience. She retired from the Navy in 1986 at the rank of Rear Admiral and continued to work as a consultant and lecturer until her death in 1992. Today, Hopper is remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of computer science, and the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is held in her honor.