"Keep Calm and Carry On" posters were never actually released during WWII.

World History

"K eep Calm and Carry On" posters and their variants have become ubiquitous over the last two decades, a symbol of the United Kingdom's stoic resilience during World War II. But while more than 2 million posters were printed by the Ministry of Information in the leadup to World War II, they were never officially released during the actual conflict. Two other slogan posters were designed in the same style, neither of which has achieved the same prominence despite being seen by far more people during the war. They were: "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution — Will Bring Us Victory" and "Freedom Is in Peril; Defend It with All Your Might."

The "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters were meant to be held in reserve until the situation grew especially dire and the public needed a morale boost, but officials found the other designs effective enough on their own. It wasn't until the owner of a bookstore in Alnwick, Northumberland, found a batch of "Keep Calm" posters in a box of secondhand books he'd won that the posters achieved their current fame. The bookseller framed one in his shop, and it drew so much attention from the public that he began selling copies.

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By the Numbers

Bombs dropped on Britain during the Blitz

450,000

Royal Air Force pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain

3,000

Did you know?

The bestselling poster in history is Farrah Fawcett in a red swimsuit.

Even if you didn't have one on your bedroom wall growing up, you've surely seen it: Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett in a red swimsuit, smiling at the camera in profile. The iconic poster was released in 1976, selling more than 6 million copies in its first year at the modest price of $3. More than 12 million total have been sold, making it the bestselling poster of all time and an enduring symbol of the 1970s. A copy of the poster, and the swimsuit itself, can now be found in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.