Peace Symbol ☮ Copy and Paste

Copy the Peace Symbol

Highlight and copy the peace symbol below:

☮

Paste it anywhere — social media bios, messages, posters, or designs.

Related Peace Symbols

• ☮ — Classic Peace Symbol (CND / Nuclear Disarmament)
• ✌ — Victory / Peace Hand Sign (two fingers)
• 🕊 — Dove of Peace
• ☘ — Shamrock (associated with St. Patrick and peace)
• 🌿 — Olive Branch (ancient symbol of peace)

Unicode and Technical Details

• Unicode: U+262E
• HTML Entity: ☮
• CSS Content: \262E
• Name: PEACE SYMBOL

What Does the Peace Symbol Mean?

The peace symbol (☮) is one of the most recognized symbols in the world. It represents peace, non-violence, anti-war movements, and harmony. It was originally designed in 1958 for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and has since been adopted globally as the universal symbol for peace.

History and Origin of the Peace Symbol

Who Designed It?

The peace symbol was designed by Gerald Holtom, a British graphic designer and conscientious objector, in February 1958. It was created for the Aldermaston March — a protest march from London to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston.

What Does the Design Represent?

The symbol combines two flag semaphore signals:

• The semaphore signal for "N" (two flags pointed down at 45-degree angles) — represents "Nuclear"
• The semaphore signal for "D" (one flag straight up, one straight down) — represents "Disarmament"

Placed inside a circle, the two signals together form the classic peace symbol. "ND" = Nuclear Disarmament. The circle represents global unity.

Alternative Interpretation

Holtom later explained that the design also had a personal meaning: it depicts a person in despair with their arms extended downward, palms open — a gesture of helplessness that Holtom associated with Francisco Goya's painting of a peasant being executed, arms outstretched, before a firing squad.

The Peace Symbol in the 1960s

The peace symbol arrived in the United States in 1960 when a student named Philip Altbach brought a bag of peace symbol buttons back from a peace conference in London. The symbol quickly spread through the American anti-war movement during the Vietnam War era, appearing on protest signs, buttons, clothing, and album covers.

By the late 1960s, the peace symbol had become the defining visual of the counterculture movement, hippie culture, and the broader peace and love generation.

The Peace Symbol Today

Today, the peace symbol is used far beyond its original nuclear disarmament context:

• Anti-war protests: Used in demonstrations against wars and military conflicts worldwide
• Fashion and merchandise: Found on T-shirts, jewelry, posters, and accessories
• Digital communication: The ☮ symbol is used in social media bios, messages, and profiles
• Environmental movements: Often combined with environmental and sustainability messaging
• Music and art: A staple of festival culture, album art, and street art

Peace Symbol vs Victory Sign ✌

The ✌ hand gesture (two fingers raised) is often called the "peace sign" but it has a different history:

• ☮ (circle with lines) — specifically the nuclear disarmament / anti-war symbol
• ✌ (hand gesture) — originally a "V for Victory" sign from WWII, adopted as a peace sign in the 1960s

Both are recognized as peace symbols today, but they have different origins.

How to Type the Peace Symbol

Windows

• Hold Alt and type 9774 on the numpad
• Or use Character Map and search for "peace"

Mac

• Open Character Viewer: Control+Command+Space
• Search for "peace" and double-click to insert

iPhone and Android

• The ✌ peace hand sign is in the emoji keyboard under "People"
• For the ☮ symbol, copy from this page and paste

Fun Facts About the Peace Symbol

• The peace symbol has never been copyrighted — it is free for anyone to use
• It was almost the logo of the anti-Vietnam War movement but was already so universal that no single group could claim it
• Some conservative groups in the 1970s claimed the symbol was an anti-Christian "broken cross" — this is false; it has no religious meaning
• The peace symbol appeared on a US postage stamp in 1999
• In 2008, the peace symbol turned 50 years old and was celebrated worldwide

Related Symbols

Explore more symbols in our guides for Cross Symbol ✝, Infinity Symbol ∞, and Yin Yang Symbol ☯.