The famous yellow arches in McDonald's modern logo form the letter M.
The arches began as architectural features on McDonald's restaurants in the 1950s. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the distinctive structures for the chain's early California locations, where large yellow arches helped the buildings stand out from the road.
The physical arches were eventually simplified into a graphic symbol. By 1962, the arches had been combined into the recognizable “M” mark associated with McDonald's restaurants around the world.
People sometimes describe the symbol simply as two arches, but its branding role is more specific: the two shapes join visually to create an M for McDonald's. The Golden Arches name now refers both to the architectural idea and to the corporate logo.