A little history on the peace symbol

[Separation]

For some reason, the title on the page has a clickbaity title called, 'The Dark, Untold Story About the Peace Sign'. I dont see anything dark about it. Anywhooo, I thought it was an interesting piece of history to share.

The story I found was on MSN, but it was linked back to a Readers Digest story, so Ill link to that one.

THE DARK AND STORMY NIGHT VERSION OF HOW THE PEACE SYMBOL CAME TO BE

Here is the story since it seems to be a very clickbaity type of article.

Today, activists, artists, and even kids use the peace sign, and it sends a powerful message. The peace symbol dates back more than half a century, and its’ origin isn’t as happy and uplifting as you might think. Here are moving quotes about peace from world leaders.

It originated as a symbol used by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC). An artist, Gerald Holtom, was on the groups’ board, and as a well-known designer, stepped up to create a symbol that would have not only a visual but also a political impact.

Holtom designed the symbol around flag semaphores. Flag semaphores are the long distance communications of messages using visual signals made with hand held flags. In the case of the peace sign, it was based off of the combination of the letters ‘N’ and ‘D’, which together stood for nuclear disarmament.

The symbol was first displayed during a protest march that took place on Easter weekend of 1958. Protesters marched 52 miles from London to Aldermaston in Berkshire, which is the site of the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment to protest the use of nuclear weapons in war. This march was organized by the DAC and it was the first wide spread public display of the peace sign.

The DAC along with other small protest groups in the U.K. went on to form the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). The peace symbol came to represent the CND and was used and continues to be used by many other protestors and activists around the world to promote peace. Other shapes have interesting origins too. Learn how the heart symbol got its shape.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I got through two paragraphs and got tons of clickbait, plus a half dozen screens promising me...

a new iPhone.

Never got to finish the story, and now Readers Digest has my email addy. (one of them, anyway)+

[Separation]

2. I apologize

I have since updated the OP with the story. I should have known how clickbaity it was going to be, just from the name of the article.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Not your fault-- that's pretty much the way things are now.

[grantcart]

5. Even though I tried once and never got to the end,

I still want to click on that Photoshopped picture of the guy swinging the girl over the cliff.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Missed that-- got to try again.

[gopiscrap]

3. Interesting-thanks

[Decoy of Fenris]

7. Meant to be a symbol of despair as well.

"Holtom also described the symbol as representing despair, with the central lines forming a human with its hands questioning at its sides against the backdrop of a white Earth."


It's always interesting to read up on artist intentions and interpretations. The history and motivation behind symbols are always important things to keep in mind.