It is not often we can see the birth and rise of popularity of a symbol.   Time magazine has done a photo essay on the use of the Peace Symbol since it has turned 50. Apparently the the symbol first appeared at a nuclear disarmament rally in April 1958.

“…the little sectioned circle has become so familiar, it feels as if it had no genesis, that it just emerged out of a collective folk culture, like the Star of David or a nursery rhyme. But in fact it can be traced to a single inventor, Gerald Holtom …” the rest of the article is here