June 1, 1829 - Ada’s Teenage Years

At 13, Ada was bedridden by measles

At 16, She was able to walk with crutches

At 17, Ada had an affair with her tutor and tried to elope

At 17, Ada met mathematician Charles Babbage

At 19, Ada met and married her husband

In June 1829, at the age of thirteen, Ada contracted a severe case of the measles, which caused her to be bedridden and paralyzed for almost three years.

Even while she was sick, she continued her studies in mathematics and technology. At sixteen, she could finally walk on crutches, and by seventeen, Ada was well enough to travel to London with her mom for her first season of socializing.

Apparently, “Lady Byron had her teenage daughter watched by close friends for any sign of moral deviation.” It is not clear whether this happened before or after Ada had an affair with her tutor at seventeen and tried to elope. However, “the tutor’s relatives recognized her and contacted her mother” (County Line Magazine). The incident was covered up, and she would go on to marry William King two years later.