Do you know the story behind the "peace sign"? Today is it's 50th anniversary!
By ctrymuziklvr
@ctrymuziklvr (11057)
United States
March 20, 2008 4:59pm CST
Everyone from politicians to the Pope has used the peace sign at one time or another right? If I remember right it started out as a "hippie" thing and whenever we saw them in the news or in a movie they were giving the peace sign. A friend sent me this very interesting article explaining the whole story behind it starting with it's beginning as the emblem of the British anti-nuclear movement but it has become an international sign for peace, and arguably the most widely used protest symbol in the world. It has also been adapted, attacked and commercialised.
If your interested you can read the whole story from how it came to be the US peace symbol, Viet Nam, being used as a symbol of power and the commercialism surrounding it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7292252.stm
Check it out and let me know what you think about the article!
1 person likes this
5 responses
@ersmommy1 (12587)
• United States
28 May 08
How neat! You see the symbol everywhere. People make it, it's on t-shirts. Once the symbol was frowned at, with the hippie beginning. Now everyone knows it. What a colorful history. Will have to check out the link.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
20 Mar 08
The peace sign does indeed have a storied history, ctry. I would agree that it is recognized almost universally. I cannot attest, however, to how much peace it has brought to our troubled world.
@starrywonder (625)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I agree with worldwise. Its a symbol of peace, not a bringer of peace.
@Iconoclast1 (389)
• United States
28 May 08
That's interesting. I especially like the part about the semaphore.
