Albert Einstein's 1939 Atomic Bomb Warning Letter Sells For Rs 32.7 Crore

This letter, which played a pivotal role in the development of the atomic bomb, was originally addressed to the US president.

The letter that Albert Einstein penned in 1939, urging President Roosevelt to prioritize nuclear research, sold for a staggering $3.9 million at a recent Christie's auction. This letter, which played a pivotal role in the development of the atomic bomb, was originally addressed to the US president, highlighting the grave potential of nuclear weapons and the urgent need for American involvement.

The original letter, now part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library's collection in New York, was Einstein's attempt to warn President Roosevelt that Germany might be developing nuclear weapons. In the letter, Einstein discussed recent breakthroughs in nuclear physics, noting that uranium could become "a new and important source of energy" and warning that this energy could be harnessed to create "extremely powerful bombs."

Einstein, along with fellow physicist Leo Szilard, had fled Europe due to the rise of Adolf Hitler. Feeling a sense of urgency, Einstein's letter helped convince the U.S. government to expedite its research into nuclear fission, leading to the Manhattan Project and the eventual development of atomic bombs.