Here, on the anniversary of the day—July 19, 1941—when Churchill first endorsed the “V for Victory” effort in a speech to his compatriots, LIFE.com celebrates the gesture as one of those ...

A V-gesture used when taking photos may express the feelings of happiness or victory, but a reversed V-gesture (palms facing inward V-shaped gestures) has a rude meaning in some places.

“It’s funny and quirky and I love how I come down every morning and see my dad giving me the V! “It has real shock value, especially as I’ve probably only heard my dad swear once in my ...

The Rabaa replaced a more recognizable sign in the Arab world: the two-fingered “V for Victory” salute, a gesture that transcends language and nationality. Many Americans know of the V as the ...

Here’s hoping he has better luck than Banksy, whose stunt cutting fails to rise above the level of empty gesture. Andrea K. Scott was the art editor of Goings On About Town from 2007 to 2023.