Where does this come from, and can I check it?

A late 1970s competition produced the pictogram now used on emergency exits. The figure is taken from International Organization for Standardization, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a everyday life fact?

Yes. It sits on the Everyday Life shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

The green running man sign is a Japanese design

A late 1970s competition produced the pictogram now used on emergency exits Japan's fire agency ran a competition in the late 1970s for an emergency exit pictogram, and the winning entry showed a figure running toward an open door. Japan adopted the symbol in 1982 and it was later taken up internationally as ISO 7010 sign E001. Having no words, it reads the same in every language. It sits in Mondo's everyday life collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

International Organization for Standardization

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: signage, safety, design

The green running man sign is a Japanese design: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: A late 1970s competition produced the pictogram now used on emergency exits. The figure is taken from International Organization for Standardization, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a everyday life fact?: Yes. It sits on the Everyday Life shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.