The Story Behind the “Keep Calm” Poster

We’ve all seen these images plastered everywhere on the web, on t-shirts, and posters with the words “Keep Calm” emblazoned on them. What is the history behind this iconic statement, and how did it become so popular? If you don’t know how it came to be, keep calm, you soon will.

The “Keep Calm” poster was actually one of three posters that originated in 1939. They were produced by the Ministry of Information of the British government to be used as motivational, morale-boosting posters as the country prepared for World War II and the threat of air attacks on the country’s major cities.

The posters featured the royal crown of King George VI, and all had a similar style. The first two posters didn’t have the “Keep Calm” statement, however. One read, “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory,” and the other read, “Freedom is in Peril, Defend It With All Your Might.” The third poster of the series, and the most popular today, was the one that said, “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

About 2.5 million copies of the “Keep Calm” poster were printed in 1939, but it had been decided that this particular poster would be displayed only after any…