Laser laser devices. The question of just how to assign credit for inventing the laser remains unresolved by historians. On May 16, 1960, Theodore H. Maiman operated the first functioning laser at Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, California, ahead of several research teams, including those of Townes, at Columbia University, Arthur Schawlow, at Bell Labs, and Gould, at the TRG (Technical Research Group) company. Maiman's functional laser used a solid-state flashlamp-pumped synthetic ruby crystal to produce red laser light, at 694 nanometers wavelength; however, the device only was capable of pulsed operation, because of its three-level pumping design scheme. Later that year,
Laser 28 line of boats, unlike other manufacturers at that time. The Laser 28's design started in 1978, following the success of the Laser dinghy, with the intention to produce a keelboat equivalent, for the Laser sailors who would outgrow the Laser, just need a keelboat as they aged, or for family cruising and racing. In 1980 Ian Bruce, president of Performance Sailcraft decided to take the boat design away from that company to reduce commercial pressures on the design team. He formed Bruce Yacht R&D Inc (BYRD) and teamed with designer Bruce Farr and a group headed up by the president