1921 105 years ago Notable Births May 5 2 sources

Arthur Leonard Schawlow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1999)

On May 5, in the year 1921, Arthur Leonard Schawlow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1999). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of May 5, one of 343 recorded events on this date across all of history.

1 notable person is associated with this event, including Arthur Leonard Schawlow. Learn more below.

Arthur Leonard Schawlow was an American physicist who, along with Charles Townes, developed the theoretical basis for laser science. His central insight was the use of two mirrors as the resonant cavity to take maser action from microwaves to visible wavelengths. He shared the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics with Nicolaas Bloembergen and Kai Siegbahn for his work using lasers to determine atomic energy levels with great precision.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on May 5, 1921 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
  • 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 2 May 2026.

On This Date in History 343

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2024 May 5 Jeannie Epper, American stuntwoman and actress (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2024 May 5 Bernard Hill, English actor (born 1944)
Notable Deaths 2024 May 5 César Luis Menotti, Argentine footballer and manager (born 1938)
Historical Events 2023 May 5 The World Health Organization declares the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency
Selected Events 2023 May 5 The World Health Organization declared the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency
Notable Deaths 2020 May 5 Millie Small, Jamaican singer-songwriter (born 1947)
Selected Events 2020 May 5 Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN was forced to go off-air by the National Telecommunications Commission after Congre
Notable Deaths 2017 May 5 Binyamin Elon, Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician (born 1954)
Notable Deaths 2017 May 5 Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, Mauritanian politician (born 1953)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 5 Jobst Brandt, American cyclist, engineer, and author (born 1935)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 5 Hans Jansen, Dutch linguist, academic, and politician (born 1942)
Notable Deaths 2014 May 5 Michael Otedola, Nigerian journalist and politician, 9th Governor of Lagos State (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 5 Sarah Kirsch, German poet and author (born 1935)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 5 Robert Ressler, American FBI agent and author (born 1937)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 5 Surendranath, Indian cricketer (born 1937)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 5 Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (born 1916)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 5 Aatos Erkko, Finnish journalist and publisher (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 5 George Knobel, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 5 Roy Padayachie, South African lawyer and politician, South African Minister of Communications (born 1950)
Notable Deaths 2011 May 5 Claude Choules, English-Australian soldier (born 1901)
Notable Deaths 2011 May 5 Yosef Merimovich, Israeli footballer and manager (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2011 May 5 Dana Wynter, British actress (born 1931)
Historical Events 2010 May 5 Mass protests in Greece erupt in response to austerity measures imposed by the government as a result of the Greek gover
Notable Deaths 2010 May 5 Giulietta Simionato, Italian soprano (born 1910)
Notable Deaths 2010 May 5 Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Nigerian academic and politician, 13th President of Nigeria (born 1951)
Notable Deaths 2008 May 5 Irv Robbins, Canadian-American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (born 1917)
Notable Deaths 2008 May 5 Jerry Wallace, American singer and guitarist (born 1928)
Historical Events 2007 May 5 Kenya Airways Flight 507 crashes after takeoff from Douala International Airport in Douala, Cameroon, killing all 114 ab
Notable Deaths 2007 May 5 Theodore Harold Maiman, American-Canadian physicist and engineer, created the laser (born 1927)
Selected Events 2007 May 5 Kenya Airways Flight 507 crashed immediately after takeoff from Douala International Airport in Cameroon, resulting in t
Historical Events 2006 May 5 The government of Sudan signs an accord with the Sudan Liberation Army
Notable Deaths 2006 May 5 Naushad Ali, Indian composer and producer (born 1919)
Notable Deaths 2006 May 5 Atıf Yılmaz, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1925)
Notable Births 2004 May 5 Jenna Davis, American actress and YouTuber
Notable Births 2004 May 5 Kirsty Muir, Scottish freestyle skier
Notable Births 2003 May 5 Carlos Alcaraz, Spanish tennis player
Notable Deaths 2003 May 5 Sam Bockarie, Sierra Leonean commander (born 1964)
Notable Deaths 2003 May 5 Walter Sisulu, South African activist and politician (born 1912)
Notable Deaths 2002 May 5 Hugo Banzer, Bolivian general and politician, 62nd President of Bolivia (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2002 May 5 Paul Wilbur Klipsch, American engineer, founded Klipsch Audio Technologies (born 1904)
Notable Deaths 2002 May 5 George Sidney, American director and producer (born 1916)
Notable Deaths 2002 May 5 Louis C
Notable Deaths 2001 May 5 Morris Graves, American painter and educator (born 1910)
Notable Deaths 2001 May 5 Clifton Hillegass, American publisher, created CliffsNotes (born 1918)
Notable Deaths 2000 May 5 Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (born 1914)
Notable Deaths 2000 May 5 Bill Musselman, American basketball player and coach (born 1940)
Notable Births 1999 May 5 Nathan Chen, American figure skater
Notable Births 1999 May 5 Justin Kluivert, Dutch footballer
Notable Deaths 1999 May 5 Vasilis Diamantopoulos, Greek actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1920)
Notable Births 1998 May 5 Aryna Sabalenka, Belarusian tennis player

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

People Involved

Arthur Leonard Schawlow

American physicist (1921–1999)

birth

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