The History and Meaning of the Pink Ribbon: A Symbol of Breast Cancer Awareness

Since its debut in 1992, the pink ribbon has become the international symbol of breast cancer awareness. In the United States, October is designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness month, but with more than 250,000 women being diagnosed every year, the pink ribbon serves as a year-round reminder of the need to find a cure.

The Beginning

• The Susan G Komen Foundation gave out the first pink ribbons at their 1991 Race for A Cure event. Around this time, Charlotte Hayley, who was battling breast cancer, was selling peach ribbons. Hayley's ribbons were sold with a card urging buyers to petition their legislators to raise more funding for cancer prevention.

Getting Noticed

• Evelyn Lauder, of Estee Lauder cosmetics and Alexandra Penny of SELF magazine also had the idea to create a ribbon for breast cancer awareness that could be distributed at Estee Lauder counters across the country. Inspired by Hayley's cause, Lauder and Penny created the Pink Ribbon in 1992.

Taking the Next Step

• More than 200,000 women signed the Pink Ribbon petition urging the White House to push for increased funding for breast cancer research. The petition was delivered to First Lady Hillary Clinton in a special ceremony in 1993.

Moving Forward

• In 2004, Estee Lauder changed the ribbon to hot pink to draw attention to ongoing achievements in the fight to end breast cancer. By October 2009, more than 85 million pink ribbons had been distributed worldwide.