If England is good enough for Madonna’s birthday parties, it’s good enough for the peace sign. The symbol turns 50 this week, and to aid in the celebration BBC News has published an article detailing the history of what is commonly referred to as “the most popular symbol in the world.” 

As the report notes, it wasn’t always bell-bottoms and free love for the peace symbol. The sign actually started out as a protest logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), a British protest group, during the Cold War when England was readying programs to begin production of a hydrogen bomb.

Gerald Holtom, a former WWII conscientious objector, designed the symbol using the flag-signaling alphabet as his inspiration. He superimposed the signs for “N” and “D” (Nuclear Disarmament) over each other and the “Ban the Bomb” symbol was finally born.

Holtom and the CND reportedly never trademarked the symbol because, as it was a symbol for freedom, it should be free for all to use. And, eventually, the sign traveled across the pond when it was adopted by civil rights protesters in the U.S.

To find out more about the peace symbol’s tumultuous history and its impact, read the full article here.

Image: JMD Designs

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