International Day of Light
May 16 · Level 9 · #356 of 2238
The International Day of Light is a UNESCO celebration of light's role in science, art and everyday life. It brings usually unseen technologies into focus, from optical communications and medical instruments to solar energy and photography.
How it is celebrated: optics demonstrations, public lectures, exhibitions and school activities invite people to explore light. Scientists and artists show how it helps us investigate the world, carry information and create images.
The date marks Theodore Maiman's first successful operation of a laser in 1960. At the heart of his pioneering device was a synthetic ruby crystal.