The Golden Arches became the basis of McDonald’s modern logo in 1962.
By that point, the arches had already served as architectural features on McDonald’s restaurants. The company then transformed the two curved forms into a stylized graphic mark, creating the familiar letter-M shape associated with the chain.
The logo helped convert a building feature into a portable identity that could appear on signs, packaging, advertising, and employee materials. This was important as McDonald’s expanded into more locations and needed consistent recognition beyond individual restaurant buildings.
The arches have been redrawn and placed in different visual treatments over the decades, so historical logos do not all look identical. The core idea, however, dates to 1962. The year is sometimes confused with the opening of early restaurants or the founding of the corporation.