UNESCO declared this international day of action in 2017, after the “International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies” celebrated by the United Nations in 2015 successfully raised global awareness of the achievements of light science.

May 16th was chosen to honor the anniversary of the first successful use of the laser by engineer and physicist Theodore Maiman in 1960.

Of course, the “International Day of Light” also calls for reducing global light pollution and energy waste.