McDonald's Golden Arches logo first appeared in its recognizable “M” form in 1962.
The logo condensed the two yellow arches used on McDonald's restaurant buildings into a single graphic mark. This made the brand easier to reproduce consistently on signs, packaging, advertisements, and other materials as the chain expanded.
The year is sometimes confused with earlier dates in McDonald's visual history. The first architectural arches were designed in the 1950s, and the McDonald brothers' restaurant system dates to 1948. Those milestones helped create the brand identity, but they are not the date of the finished “M” logo.
The Golden Arches became more than a sign for a restaurant building. Over time, the symbol became a shorthand for the McDonald's name itself, allowing the company to communicate recognition quickly across languages and national markets.