Where did the Stop Sign Originate?

The first stop sign was erected in Detroit, Michigan in 1915. It had black letters on a white background printed on a sheet of metal. In 1922 Detroit established a committee to discuss the usage of the traffic signs. They came up with the idea to make the sign an octagon shape so it would stand out more. Thus marks the beginning of the psychological formations we associate with signs based on shape. Once America chose the octagon, Europe soon decided to use the same shape for their stop signs.

The only country that's defied the octagon shape is Japan. That's not surprising since they've always been known to have simpler shapes to their traffic signs. In their case, their stop sign is an upside-down red triangle (the same shape as our "Yield" signs) and the "Tomare" in the middle for "Stop" in white letters.

Where Did the Heart Come From?

Valentine's Day stems from the Roman festival "Lupercalia". As most Roman festivals, it was a sensuous affair. Young women would place their names in a box and young men would draw the name out. The man did not need to ask for a date, plan a dinner setting or a movie. Just draw a name and off to fornicate.

One of the most intriguing suggestions for the origin of the heart symbol stems from the seventh century B.C. city-state of Cyrene. Cyrene traded the rare, now extinct, plant silphium. It was known as a means for birth control. The seedpod of the silphium looks exactly like a valentine's heart. Moreover, its use in sex is an obvious connection to love.

However, turn the heart upside down and it becomes a particularly intriguing symbol. Now the heart looks like a pair of plump, dangling breasts. The heart also compares favorably to the female buttocks.

A note about signs and symbols:

A (Visual) Symbol stands for something. It is connected to something through some form of relation (visual similarity, history, etc). It often depicts a real world object and is often metaphorical.

A (Visual) Sign on the other hand signifies something. Its form is arbitrary and it simply has to be learned. For example currency.

Who Came up With the Peace Sign?

The peace symbol was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Arts. It was created to be the logo of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

Holtom wrote to Hugh Brock, editor of Peace News, explaining the genesis of his idea in a personal depth:

I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya’s peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.

Although specifically designed for the anti-nuclear movement, the symbol has deliberately never been copyrighted. No one has to pay or to seek permission before they use it. A symbol of freedom, it is free for all.