1960 theodore maiman operates the first optical laser a ruby las 05 16
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1960 66 years ago Historical Events May 16 5 sources

Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

On May 16, in the year 1960, Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of May 16, one of 403 recorded events on this date across all of history.

Theodore Harold Maiman was an American engineer and physicist who is widely credited with the invention of the laser. Maiman's laser led to the subsequent development of many other types of lasers. The laser was successfully fired on May 16, 1960. In a July 7, 1960, press conference in Manhattan, Maiman and his employer, Hughes Aircraft Company, announced the laser to the world. Maiman was granted a patent for his invention, and he received many awards and honors for his work. His experiences in developing the first laser and subsequent related events are recounted in his book, The Laser Odyssey, later being republished in 2018 under a new title, The Laser Inventor: Memoirs of Theodore H. Maiman.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on May 16, 1960 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 5 Wikipedia articles.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 14 November 2025.

On This Date in History 403

Type Year Date Event
Historical Events 2025 May 16 A devastating EF4 tornado kills nineteen people in Southeast Kentucky, hitting the towns of Somerset and London
Notable Deaths 2025 May 16 Domingos Maubere, East Timorese Catholic priest and activist (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2024 May 16 Dabney Coleman, American actor (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2024 May 16 Eddie Gossage, American public speaker and businessman (born 1958)
Notable Deaths 2023 May 16 Norm Green, American long-distance runner (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2021 May 16 Bruno Covas, Brazilian lawyer, politician (born 1980)
Notable Deaths 2019 May 16 Piet Blauw, Dutch politician (born 1937)
Notable Deaths 2019 May 16 Bob Hawke, Australian politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (born 1929)
Notable Deaths 2019 May 16 I
Notable Deaths 2015 May 16 Prashant Bhargava, American director and producer (born 1973)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 16 Moshe Levinger, Israeli rabbi and author (born 1935)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 16 Flora MacNeil, Scottish Gaelic singer (born 1928)
Historical Events 2014 May 16 Twelve people are killed in two explosions in the Gikomba market area of Nairobi, Kenya
Notable Deaths 2014 May 16 Chris Duckworth, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2014 May 16 Vito Favero, Italian cyclist (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2014 May 16 Bud Hollowell, American baseball player and manager (born 1943)
Notable Deaths 2014 May 16 Clyde Snow, American anthropologist and author (born 1928)
Selected Events 2014 May 16 At least 12 people were killed and 70 others injured when two bombs exploded in a market in Nairobi, Kenya
Notable Deaths 2013 May 16 Angelo Errichetti, American politician (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 16 Bryan Illerbrun, Canadian football player (born 1957)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 16 Frankie Librán, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (born 1948)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 16 Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 16 Paul Shane, British actor and comedian (born 1940)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 16 Dick Trickle, American race car driver (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 16 Bernard Waber, American author and illustrator (born 1921)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 16 Patricia Aakhus, American author and academic (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 16 James Abdnor, American soldier and politician (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 16 Chuck Brown, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1936)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 16 Ernie Chan, Filipino-American illustrator (born 1940)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 16 Kevin Hickey, American baseball player (born 1956)
Historical Events 2011 May 16 STS-134 (ISS assembly flight ULF6), launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the 25th and final flight for Space Shuttl
Notable Deaths 2011 May 16 Ralph Barker, English author (born 1917)
Notable Deaths 2011 May 16 Bob Davis, Australian footballer and coach (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2011 May 16 Edward Hardwicke, English actor (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2011 May 16 Kiyoshi Kodama, Japanese actor (born 1934)
Notable Deaths 2010 May 16 Ronnie James Dio, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1942)
Notable Deaths 2010 May 16 Hank Jones, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1918)
Notable Deaths 2008 May 16 Robert Mondavi, American winemaker, co-founded the Opus One Winery (born 1913)
Historical Events 2005 May 16 Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35–23 National Assembly vote
Notable Deaths 2005 May 16 Andrew Goodpaster, American general (born 1915)
Historical Events 2003 May 16 In Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks
Notable Deaths 2003 May 16 Mark McCormack, American lawyer and sports agent, founded IMG (born 1930)
Notable Births 2002 May 16 Ryan Gravenberch, Dutch footballer
Notable Deaths 2002 May 16 Alec Campbell, Australian soldier (born 1899)
Notable Births 2000 May 16 Luis Garcia, Dominican-American baseball player
Historical Events 1997 May 16 Mobutu Sese Seko, the President of Zaire, flees the country
Notable Deaths 1997 May 16 Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (born 1903)
Notable Births 1996 May 16 Louisa Chirico, American tennis player
Notable Deaths 1996 May 16 Jeremy Michael Boorda, American admiral (born 1939)
Notable Births 1995 May 16 Elizabeth Ralston, Australian footballer

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

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