It turns out that “Keep Calm and Carry On” was a poster created by the Government of the UK in 1939 to spur people to continue living in spite of Nazi Germany’s bombing raids; a propaganda piece that was never seen by the public until 2000. Owners of a Northeast British book store discovered the old print in a box bought from an auction.

After hanging the print up on the shop floor, customers wanted to have a copy of their own, and the phrase’s popularity took off.

Have a look at this lovely video for a better description of its history!