The Lovelace Medal was established by the British Computer Society in 1998, and is presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the understanding or advancement of computing. It is the top award in computing in the UK. The award is named after Ada Lovelace, who was the daughter of Lord Byron and an English mathematician, scientist, and writer. She worked with computer pioneer Charles Babbage on the proposed mechanical general-purpose computer – The Analytical Engine, in 1842 and is often described as the world's first female computer programmer.