The first laser
Who
Theodore Maiman, an American physicist from a Jewish family.
When
1960
Where
Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, California, USA
The laser, now used in everything from surgery and manufacturing to communications and everyday scanners, was first built as a working device in 1960. It was made by physicist Theodore Maiman, who came from a Jewish family, using a synthetic ruby crystal to produce the first coherent beam of light. The word itself is older: physicist Gordon Gould coined 'laser' in 1957 and fought a thirty-year patent battle over the concept — the race to light was crowded, and it was Maiman's ruby that crossed the line first.
Part of “The Gifts of the Jews” — verified Jewish contributions to the world, with sources.