A letter written by Albert Einstein to US President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1939, which led to the creation of the atomic bomb, is to be auctioned at Christie's New York on 10 September 2024. The two-page document is expected to fetch over $4 million.
In the letter, dated 2 August 1939, Einstein warned that recent nuclear physics research could lead to 'extremely powerful bombs' and expressed concern about Germany's uranium sales halt in occupied Czechoslovakia. This prompted the Manhattan Project, a $2 billion secret programme that developed the atomic bomb.
Peter Klarnet, senior specialist at Christie's, described the letter as 'a key inflection point in the history of science, technology and humanity'. Dr Bryn Willcock of Swansea University noted that most historical accounts of the bomb's origins begin with this letter, calling it 'vital' in pushing Roosevelt toward atomic research.
The letter was drafted by Einstein and his former student Leo Szilard, who fled Nazi persecution. Einstein, a pacifist, later distanced himself from the project, saying his role was 'quite indirect'. The auction follows renewed interest from the film Oppenheimer, which references the letter.
