We take lasers for granted. Once, they were incredible.

 

Lasers are very commonplace.  Even though the era of the CD is ending, lasers made and read them. Lasers scan bar codes at the grocery store.  Lasers are used to mark straight lines on walls, instead of a string infused with chalk.  Lasers are in little pointers that can be used for lectures, and also to endanger aircraft when directed at airplane cockpits (not a recommended use). Lasers are used for surgery, especially eye surgery.  Lasers might be the key to nuclear fusion power.  They're used for cutting and welding and drilling.  Lasers are used to measure distance from a satellite to the ground, or ocean, or ice surface. Lasers are used to measure the speed of chemical reactions.  Lasers are used to measure precise distances. 

So yes, lasers are commonplace, so commonplace that we take them for granted in our daily lives.

Once (and in my lifetime), it wasn't that way.  They were new, exciting, "dangerous", and incredible inventions, when very few of the applications described above were even envisioned.

This article describes when and how they were invented.

Laser Fest - Early History