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As we look towards the future of tech and strive to make equality reign, it’s important to look back at those who have got us to where we are today.

The world is far from perfect, and racism and prejudice still prevail. But there have always been those working to make the technology industry a better place for all.

This infographic starts way back in 1815 with the world’s first programmer – a female. Ada Lovelace made her name working on the Analytical Engine, the world’s first computer, alongside Charles Babbage. She believed that anything that could be converted into numbers, such as music, language and images, and then be manipulated by computer algorithms – paving the way for where we are today.

Along the way, there have been many injustices, for example, Alan Turing the man responsible for cracking the Enigma Code.

In WWII, German messages were transmitted across radio waves. Anyone could hear them, but only those who knew the code could interpret them. It was a race to work it out and win the war. Adding further problems to the mix was the fact the code changed every 24 hours; only the fastest, finest brains could figure it out.

Turing created a machine which could be relied on to break the Engima Code every single day. It saved millions of lives. But, because he was homosexual, he was prosecuted and forced to have hormone therapy which led him to take his own life.

It’s important to look at what has happened before so we don’t make the same mistakes. Moreover, we should celebrate the achievements of the pioneers before us. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Infographic

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