Hillary Clinton was the first presidential candidate to do this in her concession speech

And she made history in more ways than one...

Hillary Clinton's presidential election loss to Donald Trump shattered millions of hearts around the world, with many now questioning what the future of American politics holds. She was the first woman to be nominated by a major party for the U.S. presidency - a monumental political first. But, Hillary Clinton also made history with her moving concession speech, which she delivered the day after Donald Trump's win.

As well as being the first woman to give a concession speech after a presidential election, Fortune reports that Hillary was the first ever candidate who apologised during it. She began her gracious speech by saying: 'Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for, and I'm sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country.

She continued: 'I know how disappointed you feel because I feel it too, and so do tens of millions of Americans who invested in their hopes and dreams in this effort. This is painful and it will be for a long time, but I want you to remember this: Our campaign was never about one person or even one election, it was about the country we love and about building an America that's hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted.'

Republican candidate Donald Trump won 290 of the electoral college votes compared to Hillary Clinton's 232, after 49 of 50 states had been formally declared (Michigan is still yet to be formally confirmed by the Associated Press).

While Hillary Clinton did not need to apologise to anybody for her election loss, it added to the grace and dignity of the overall speech. Re-watch her touching delivery in full below.