Did you know the Great Seal of the United States was designed in 1782 by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin who were tasked with designing the Great Seal? The term “E Pluribus Unum” is Latin for “out of many, one,” which the designers translated as meaning that the nation was united out of many states. It was approved on June 20, 1782 and became official on July 4 of that year.