Peace Symbol ☮ Meaning, History & Copy Paste

The peace symbol ☮ is one of the most recognized icons in the world. Created in 1958 and adopted across generations, it's become a universal symbol of anti-war sentiment, harmony, and goodwill. Here's everything you need to know — plus quick copy links.

Quick Copy: Peace Symbols

☮ 🕊 ✌ 🌿 🌏 💚 🏳

The Peace Symbol ☮

History: Where Did the Peace Symbol Come From?

The peace symbol was designed by British artist Gerald Holtom in 1958 for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). It was first used publicly on April 4, 1958, during a march from London to Aldermaston (where Britain's nuclear weapons research facility was located).

Holtom designed the symbol using semaphore — the flag-based signaling system used by the military. He combined two semaphore letters:

• N — Two flags held diagonally down (forming the V inside the circle)
• D — One flag pointing straight down (forming the vertical line)

N for Nuclear, D for Disarmament. The combined ND semaphore letters, inside a circle, became the peace sign.

Holtom reportedly also said the design reflected his own feeling of despair — arms stretched downward, enclosed by the world (the circle). He had considered inverting it (arms up, the semaphore V for "Victory"), but chose the downward-arms version to express humility and his anti-war position.

From CND to Global Icon

The symbol spread rapidly through the 1960s anti-war movement, particularly in the United States during protests against the Vietnam War. Unlike many political symbols, it was never trademarked or copyrighted — Holtom released it into the public domain. Anyone could use it freely.

This decision proved crucial. The symbol appeared on:

• Protest marches and demonstrations worldwide
• Hippie counterculture clothing and jewelry
• Album covers and rock music merchandise
• Anti-nuclear power campaigns in the 1970s-80s
• Post-Cold War peace movements
• Modern environmental and social justice campaigns

What the Peace Symbol Looks Like

The design consists of:

• A circle (representing the Earth or wholeness)
• A vertical line from the center to the bottom of the circle
• Two diagonal lines from the center to the lower sides of the circle

Together, these lines inside the circle resemble a dove's footprint — which is why the symbol is sometimes mistakenly called a "crow's foot" or "broken cross" by those unfamiliar with its origins.

Misconceptions About the Peace Symbol

The "Broken Cross" Myth

Some religious groups have claimed the peace symbol is a "broken cross" or has occult origins. This is not accurate. The symbol was specifically designed in 1958 using semaphore letter flags, and Holtom confirmed this origin. The resemblance to any older symbol is coincidental.

The Inverted Cross

Some people claim the peace symbol is an inverted cross. The peace symbol is not derived from a cross and was not intended to reference one. The Cross of Saint Peter (inverted cross) is a separate symbol with different proportions and meaning.

Other Peace Symbols

The Dove and Olive Branch

Long before Holtom's 1958 design, the dove and olive branch were the primary symbols of peace. Their origin traces to the Biblical story of Noah's Ark — a dove returned with an olive branch to signal the flood was receding and peace was restored between God and humanity.

In ancient Greece, olive branches were sacred to Athena (goddess of wisdom and crafts) and were used in peace treaties. Olympic athletes were crowned with olive wreaths.

Pablo Picasso's famous 1949 lithograph of a dove became an icon of the post-World War II peace movement — predating Holtom's symbol by nine years.

The Victory Sign ✌ and Peace

The two-finger V sign has a dual history. During World War II, Winston Churchill popularized the V for Victory gesture. In the 1960s, anti-Vietnam War protesters adopted the same hand gesture as a peace sign — reappropriating a military symbol for an anti-war message.

Today, ✌ is used in both contexts — as "peace out" (farewell), as a general sign of goodwill, and in photos as a casual pose. It's especially common in Japanese youth culture.

How to Type the Peace Symbol ☮

Windows

• Win + . emoji picker — search "peace"
• In Word: type 262E then press Alt+X
• Copy from here: ☮

Mac

• Control + Command + Space for Character Viewer
• Search "peace" or "CND"

Phone

• Search for ☮ in your emoji keyboard
• Or copy from this page

HTML

• ☮ → ☮
• ☮ → ☮

Peace Symbols Across Religions

Most major world religions have their own symbols of peace:

• Christianity: Dove, olive branch, the cross
• Islam: "Salam" (السلام) written in Arabic; crescent moon
• Judaism: Shalom (שלום) — peace in Hebrew; olive branch
• Buddhism: Lotus flower, Buddhist wheel (Dharmachakra)
• Hinduism: Om (ॐ) symbol; lotus
• Taoism: Yin-yang ☯ — balance and harmony

The Peace Symbol Today

More than 65 years after its creation, the peace symbol ☮ remains one of the most universally understood icons. It appears on fashion, protest signs, and everyday items worldwide — its meaning largely unchanged from Holtom's original intention.

Unicode added the symbol as U+262E in version 1.1 (1993), ensuring it can be typed and displayed on any modern device and operating system. It's available in essentially every Unicode-compliant font.

In an era of continued conflict, the symbol's message is as relevant as ever: nuclear disarmament, peace between nations, and the hope for a world without war.