Date in year · 1960 · The 1960s

May 16, 1960

On May 16, 1960, theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. The year's #1 song was "Theme from A Summer Place" by Percy Faith. Rudi Völler, Yelena Zhupiyeva-Vyazova, Gustavo Petro would arrive in the same year.

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1960

1960s

Around 1960

The year in brief

1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1960th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 960th year of the 2nd millennium, the 60th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1960s decade.

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What happened

On May 16, 1960

  1. 1960 Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

    American physicist (1927–2007)

    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.

Elsewhere that year

Other moments from 1960

The class of 1960

Others born in 1960

Rudi Völler 1960– German footballer and manager
Yelena Zhupiyeva-Vyazova 1960– Ukrainian runner
Gustavo Petro 1960– Colombian politician, 34th and current President of Colombia
Frank Viola 1960– American baseball player and coach
Debbie Flintoff-King 1960– Australian hurdler and coach
Mart Laar 1960– Estonian historian and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Estonia

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