A Toshiba Satellite Pro laptop used by Bill Clinton to send the first presidential email has sold for $61,931 in an online sale.
Clinton used the computer to email astronaut John Glenn in 1998, who was orbiting Earth aboard the space shuttle Discovery.
 Clinton sent the first presidential email from the laptop |
Glenn had written to Clinton to thank him for coming to see the take off at Cape Canaveral. The president responded: "Thanks for your message. Hillary and I had a great time at the launch�Ǫ
"At a camp rally in Queens, I asked an 83 year old lady what she thought of your trip.
"She replied that it seemed like a perfectly fine thing for a young man like you to do! I hope your last few hours go well. Give my best to the rest of the crew."
Glenn was 77 at the time and remains the oldest astronaut ever to travel into space.
The laptop, which sold at RR Auction on April 16, was formerly owned by Robert G Darling, a physician working at the White House. It was sold with the email exchange saved to the hard drive.
A signed photograph of Clinton and an official press release were also included.
Clinton famously avoided using email for the duration of his presidency due to security concerns.
He stated in an interview in 2000: "I e-mailed John Glenn in space. And I e-mailed some Marines and sailors on a ship at Christmas. That was it."
You can check out our collection of presidential memorabilia here.
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