At airports around the world where Air Canada flies, the airline is instantly identifiable by the bright red rondelle on the tails of its aircraft. That symbol, which is uniquely Canadian, took flight 60 years ago today, on January 1, 1965.

Known as Trans-Canada Air Lines since its inception in 1937, the then Crown-corporation officially changed its name to Air Canada on January 1, 1965. In choosing Air Canada as the new name, the carrier chose one that was bilingual and reflected the fact that in addition to flying across the country, it had become an international airline.

With a new name came the desire to have a new corporate emblem, one that would foster immediate public recognition.

The new emblem was designed by the firm of Stewart, Morrison and Roberts, at the time one of Canada’s leading brand consultants. It fell to the firm’s creative director, Hans Kleefeld, who helped design logos for other major global brands.

Several different versions of the logo were presented to Air Canada leadership. In the summer of 1964, what would become Air Canada’s iconic stylized Maple Leaf surrounded by an open circle which starts at the stem of the leaf, was accepted as the airline’s new identity. It was first publicly revealed in October of 1964, and has since been modernized twice, once in 1993 and the current version soaring across the globe, in 2004.

“Customers routinely tell us that no matter where they are in the world, as soon as they see the rondelle on an aircraft tail, they feel they are already at home. We take the responsibility of representing home to Canadians seriously, and we are immensely proud of the enduring longevity of such an iconic symbol,” said Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of Air Canada.