It’s Women’s History Month! runZero is celebrating all month long by highlighting innovative women who have been technological trailblazers. We hope you’ll share their incredible achievements and fascinating life stories with your kiddos and colleagues!
With that in mind, each of the women has a dedicated coloring sheet with a summary of their amazing achievements. We’d love to see the artistic creations that emerge from this experiment, and encourage you to share them on the socials for everyone to admire.
As each of the coloring sheets is revealed, we’ll be adding them to this very page so that you can easily get the entire collection. We hope you enjoy them and learn something new!
Ada Lovelace – mathematician & algorithmic visionary #
Ada Lovelace emerged as a pioneering English mathematician in an era when women were largely excluded from math and science. Despite being the daughter of the renowned poet Lord Byron, Ada's mother steered her towards these fields, setting the stage for her groundbreaking contributions.
Ada's brilliance shone through in her collaboration with Charles Babbage, the visionary inventor of the Analytical Engine. While translating an article about the engine, Ada added her own extensive notes. These notes contained what is now recognized as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine. Her insights went beyond mere calculations; she envisioned a future where machines could manipulate symbols alongside numbers, laying the conceptual foundation for modern computing.
Though her contributions were only fully appreciated over a century later, with the U.S. Department of Defense naming a computer language "Ada" in her honor, Ada's legacy endures as an inspiration. Her story reminds us of the power of intellectual curiosity and the human mind's ability to shape the future, even in the face of societal barriers.
- Learn more about Ada’s contributions here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace
Katherine Johnson – mathematician & NASA trailblazer #
Katherine Johnson was a pioneering American mathematician whose work on orbital mechanics was critical to the success of the first US crewed spaceflights, including John Glenn’s historic flight orbiting the Earth and the Apollo 11 mission that sent astronauts to the Moon.
In 1953, Katherine joined the West Area Computing unit at NACA (a precursor to NASA). Known as the “West Computers,” this innovative group of African American women manually executed complex mathematical calculations that made the early US space program possible. Their work was memorialized in the book and movie Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.
Katherine led a remarkable life in her 101 years, from starting high school at the age of 10 to being awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. We encourage you to read more about her life and important legacy:
Hedy Lamarr – iconic actress & ingenious inventor #
We are kicking things off with Hedy Lamarr, an iconic Hollywood actress who also was an ingenious inventor. Hedy’s work helped revolutionize modern communications. Thanks to her contributions, along with many others, we now have WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth technologies. Learn more about Hedy’s incredible life here.
Hedy never publicized her inventions during her lifetime, and we are excited to shine a light on her brilliance, as well as her renowned beauty.
Bookmark this page and come back soon to see who we celebrate next!
