Theodore Maiman makes the first laser using a cylinder made of ruby. The name laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The technique was developed along the same principles as that used in masers. Today lasers have many applications ranging from surgical to industrial and most commonly perhaps in laser printers and compact disc players.




Further info :

Wolfram Research
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Laser.html