Islamabad (Web Desk): International Day of Light is being observed across the globe today (Thursday).
This year the theme of the day is “Light in Our Lives.
The day is an annual celebration established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize the significance of light and light-based technologies in revolutionizing our society and various aspects of our daily lives.
As per the UNESCO: “The International Day of Light is celebrated on 16 May each year, the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. This day is a call to strengthen scientific cooperation and harness its potential to foster peace and sustainable development.”
The origin of the International Day of Light can be traced back to 2015, when the United Nations observed the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015) to raise awareness of the achievements of light science and its applications worldwide.
Following the success of IYL 2015, the UNESCO Executive Board adopted a resolution that supported the notion of an International Day of Light on September 19, 2016.
The first-ever International Day of Light was held on May 16, 2018.
