McDonald's introduced the Golden Arches logo in 1962.
The logo developed from the large yellow arches built into many McDonald's restaurants during the 1950s. Those architectural features were initially practical design elements, but they became increasingly recognizable as a visual symbol of the chain.
Designer Jim Schindler combined the two arches into a stylized letter M in 1962. This changed the arches from a building feature into a distinctive corporate mark that could appear on signs, packaging, advertising, and restaurant materials.
The 1962 date refers to the introduction of the combined Golden Arches logo, not the first construction of an individual arch. The arches remain one of the most recognizable examples of corporate branding in the fast-food industry.