There's something so appealing about the right quote at the right time. This must be why that ubiquitous "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster (even though, yes, now it's everywhere, has morphed into a million versions, and is as overplayed as that Adele song that you still love anyway) can sometimes still inspire a strange, teary, throat-lump, at least in this steadfast soldier—er, blogger. You know the one: the lovely, slender font; the regal crown; most of all, the stately, applicable-to-everything and somehow-oh-so-British message. It seems relevant to nearly any situation, from driving in soul-crushing rush hour traffic to, you know, surviving daily life in wartime Britain. Right?

The original poster started making the rounds a few years ago, swiftly followed by a raft of impersonators and spin-offs. (Check out Oscillator's great graph of the image's evolution.) But where did it come from? For anyone who's ever wondered where the original "Keep Calm and Carry On" carried on from, this video is a must-see. Find out who made the poster, who crafted the slogan, why it was never used when first made during WWII, and the charming story of how it resurfaced.  And don't forget: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.



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