WASHINGTON -- This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the invention of the first working laser. Today, lasers can be found almost everywhere, from telephone lines to cutting edge scientific research, supermarket scanners, and even cat toys. The first laser light was produced on May 16, 1960 at the Hughes Research Lab in Malibu, California when Theodore Maiman switched on his fist-sized device that flashed a bright red spot onto a photo-detector. Since then, lasers have become smaller, more powerful, and ubiquitous in modern technology.
London, Paris events honor 50 years of lasers
Laser fusion reactor approaches 'burning plasma' milestone, Science
Laser Fusion Start-Ups Ignite the Quest for Boundless Energy - The New York Times
A History of the Laser: 1960 - 2019, Features, Jun 2019
Old Man Laser: Officially over the hill
A look at 50 years of lasers
Market Insights: Fifty years of the laser - A Coherent view
Year of the Laser MIT Technology Review
Theodore Maiman - Wikipedia
Exclusive: Laser-fusion facility heads back to the drawing board
Ultrafast Lasers on Ultratiny Chips
