Einstein’s letter in which he warned about the development of the atomic bomb sold for $ 3.9 million
Albert Einstein’s letter, in which he warned US President Franklin D. Roosevelt about the development of an atomic bomb by Nazi Germany, has been sold at auction for a significant sum of $3.9 million.
This information reported auction house Christie’s on its website.
The letter is one of two known addresses Einstein prepared in 1939 with his colleague and student Leo Szilard. Einstein dictated the text in German, and Szilard translated it into English. The document was written in a small cabin on the north shore of Long Island, New York. In the letter, Einstein warned that Germany was actively funding nuclear research and could eventually create weapons of incredible destructive power.
The scientist called on the American government to take a similar position regarding the development of nuclear weapons. This appeal influenced Roosevelt, and after receiving it, he established a special committee, which later grew into the famous Manhattan Project, led by Robert Oppenheimer. This project led to the creation of the atomic bombs that were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending World War II and ushering in a new nuclear age.
The original copy of the letter is held at the Roosevelt Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. At the auction, another copy was sold, which was kept by Einstein’s student all his life.
In addition, other well-known objects were previously sold at auctions. For example, the gold bikini worn by Carrie Fisher in the movie “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” was sold for 175 thousand dollars. Also, the script of “Star Wars”, which belonged to Harrison Ford and was found in his London apartment, left the auction for 10,795 pounds.
A rare first iPhone model has sold at auction for a record sum, while Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles sold Princess Diana’s evening dress for $1.148 million, well above its original estimate.
