Seventy-nine — gold and Pompeii

Gold (Au) is a noble metal with atomic number 79. For millennia it has served as a standard of value, ornament, and monetary metal. Total mined gold reserves — about 197,000 tonnes. The symbol 'Au' comes from Latin Aurum.

On August 24, 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae. The daily life and appearance of an ancient city were preserved under volcanic ash. Excavations continue to this day.

Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now was released in 1979. An adaptation of Conrad's Heart of Darkness set during the Vietnam War, it became one of the greatest war films in cinema history.