I Did It My Way

 

'O Sole Mio  ("my sun" or "my sunshine") is a globally-known Neapolitan song written in 1898 by Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi with lyrics by Giovanni Capurro. In 1921, William E. Booth-Clibborn wrote lyrics for a hymn using the music, entitled "Down from His Glory," becoming a popular gospel standard. In 1949 singer Tony Martin used the melody for his recording,  "There's No Tomorrow" with lyrics by Al Hoffman, Leo Corday, and Leon Carr. About ten years later, while stationed in Germany, Elvis Presley heard the recording and wanted new lyrics customized for him. It became his worldwide hit, "It's Now or Never." Legend has it when performing the song in concerts a few years prior to his death, Elvis would explain the origin of the song and have singer Sherrill Nielsen perform a few lines of the original Neapolitan version before commencing with his version.

Glowing Radium Highways

Radium is a radioactive substance found in nature and produced by the radioactive decay of uranium. The intensity of radiation from radioactive materials decreases over time. Discovered in the form of radium chloride, it was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. At the beginning of the 20th century, radium was a popular additive in consumer products such as toothpaste, hair creams, and even food items because of its supposed beneficial health properties. When they were found to have adverse health effects, such products were soon discontinued. Manufacturers used radium until the early 1970s in self-luminous paints for watches, aircraft switches, clocks, and instrument dials. Other than its use in nuclear medicine, radium has no commercial applications currently.

Note: This mid-Twentieth Century futurist illustration envisions glowing highways of a mesmerizing infrastructure project. However, the artist is accurate on one detail---the center console with a navigation screen.