en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle-A
1 correction found
The symbol initially remained limited to France for a few years before spreading to Italy, especially to Milan, in 1968.
This compresses two different dates into one. Sources on the symbol’s history say Milanese anarchists had already taken it up experimentally in 1966; 1968 was when use in Milan became systematic, not when it first spread there.
Full reasoning
The dating here is too late. Specialist histories of the circled-A distinguish initial adoption in Milan in 1966 from systematic use in 1968.
- Centro Studi Libertari’s history says: "It was not until 1966 that the circled A symbol was taken up, at first as an experiment and from 1968 systematically by the group Gioventù Libertaria di Milano." That directly contradicts the claim that the symbol spread to Milan only "in 1968."
- A 2025 academic article on the symbol’s development likewise states that "from April 1966 onwards, it began to gain popularity" and that the Milanese group adopted and popularised it in Italy.
So 1968 is not the first spread to Milan/Italy; it is the point at which usage there became regular or systematic.
2 sources
- Circled A | Centro studi libertari - Archivio G. Pinelli
It was not until 1966 that the circled A symbol was taken up, at first as an experiment and from 1968 systematically by the group Gioventù Libertaria di Milano...
- The Origin of the "A In a Circle" As A Symbol of Anarchism: A Symbolic Review of its Development
However, from April 1966 onwards, it began to gain popularity... It was precisely the Milanese group Gioventù Libertaria... who adopted the symbol and made it popular in Italy.