The olive branch
THE olive branch peace symbol dates back at least to the Ancient Greeks of 600BC, who believed that olives represented ‘plenty’ and drove away evil spirits. They knew it took years for olive trees to bear fruit for the harvest, so anyone who planted olive groves must have expected a long period of peace. When the ancient Olympic Games were held, wars between states were suspended and winners were given crowns of olive branches to wear.
The original logo for the United Nations was created in 1945, by a team of designers led by Oliver Lincoln Lundquist. It’s a map of the world (as viewed from the North Pole), largely surrounded by an olive wreath.