Advertising...

This old advertisement was published on the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on May 17th, 1910. At that time, it was known that the Halley Comet should pass close to the Earth, which in turn passed through the comet's tail. Since it was known that in the tail there are cyanide molecules, which are toxic, there was a general panic attack, with several cases of suicides. This old advertisement can give an idea of the fears of that time: the well-known tires-producer Michelin released air bottles to survive to the passage of the comet.  The translation of the text is: 19 May 1910. A corner of a street, when the Earth will be invaded by pestilential miasmas of the Halley comet. Only the drivers equipped with the Michelin bottle, inflated with pure air, will breathe at their own pleasure.