In 1960, the first high-level programming language to be transportable between different models of computers was developed by a Department of Defense-sponsored team at the University of Pennsylvania. The language was COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language), and one of the members of the development team was Grace Hopper (who also wrote the first practical compiler program). The first laser was introduced this year also, by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories. The laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) could emit coherent light from a crystal of synthetic ruby.
