1962, Italian Magazine Vision of World in 2022 – Photograph: Fact Check

Story:

In 1962, an Italian magazine published a story about what the world could look like in 2022.

Fact Check:

A picture message is circulating widely on social media purporting to show in 1962, an Italian magazine published a story about what the world could look like in 2022. Accompanying picture art shows a group of people traveling privately in a small, enclosed vehicle and maintaining some distance between each other. The picture is real and it did appear in a 1962 Italian magazine. However, the context of the illustrative art was something different, not related to Coronavirus pandemic.

The story in question garnered importance due to Coronavirus global pandemic lockdowns and other measures to contain the disease spread. People across globe were asked to stay at home, maintain social distance in public places and also wear masks for protection. During the lockdown period, some stories about prediction of the Coronavirus pandemic and the deadly loss to world surfaced online. One among them claimed a Dean Koontz book Predicted Coronavirus epidemic 40 years before in 1981.

Did an Italian Magazine in 1962 Share the Photograph as Status of World in 2022?

The photographic art is in circulation suggesting to show the post COVID-19 world with the global need of social distancing and personal hygiene. However, that is not the actual scenario. The illustration art along with the summary caption did appear in Italian weekly newspaper La Domenica del Corriere, which ran from 1899 to 1989. It in fact appeared on the back cover of the newspaper on 16th December 1962 edition. Some loose translation of the accompanying summary caption:

“Will we go around cities like this? Here’s how the problem of traffic in cities could be lightened, if not completely solved: tiny single-seater cars that occupy a small area…”

So, the photograph actually shows how the problem of traffic in cities could be lightened in future using small, single-seater cars (singlets) occupying quite less area. In other words, it showed Urban transport of the future – not post COVID-19 global pandemic world in 2022. There’s another illustrative picture from the same publication showing nightmare of traffic jams on a street in New York City.

The compact vehicle in illustration art appears like a four-wheeled scooter, wherein the rider can practically stand upright. It also has a semi-circular transparent dome to protect the rider from the weather. Note, the photograph art is an imagination of great satirical cartoonist Walter Molino. Unlike the claims, the creator did not specifically mention the photograph is an illustration of future year 2022.

Hoax or Fact:

Mixture of Hoax and Facts.