The Laser was a remarkable technical breakthrough, and the name LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In its early years it was something of a technology without a purpose. It was not powerful enough for use in the beam weapons envisioned by the military, and its usefulness for transmitting information through the atmosphere was severely hampered by its inability to penetrate clouds and rain.

The principle of the laser was first known in 1917, when physicist Albert Einstein described the theory of stimulated emission.

In 1954, Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow invented the MASER microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. The technology was very close but did not use a visible light.

In 1958, Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow theorized about a visible laser, an invention that would use infrared or visible spectrum light.

Theodore Maiman invented the ruby laser considered to be the first successful optical or light laser. Many historians claim that Theodore Maiman invented the first optical laser, however, there is some controversy that Gordon Gould was the first.

Gordon Gould was the first person to use the word “laser”. There is good reason to believe that Gordon Gould made the first light laser. Gould was a doctoral student at Columbia University under Charles Townes, the inventor of the maser.

Gordon Gould was inspired to build his optical laser starting in 1958. He failed to file for a patent his invention until 1959. As a result, Gordon Gould’s patent was refused and his technology was exploited by others. It took until 1977 for Gordon Gould to finally win his patent war and receive his first patent for the laser.