McDonald’s introduced the Big Mac in 1967.
The sandwich was created by franchisee Jim Delligatti, who operated McDonald’s restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. He developed a larger hamburger with two beef patties, a middle bun section, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a special sauce. The product was designed to compete with larger hamburgers offered by rival restaurants.
The Big Mac became more than a menu item: its name, packaging, advertising, and distinctive construction gave McDonald’s a powerful branded product. The sandwich was introduced nationally in the United States in 1968 after regional testing and then spread internationally.
Some accounts confuse the creation date with the national rollout date. Delligatti’s sandwich appeared in 1967, while the broader United States launch followed in 1968. Both dates therefore appear in discussions of the Big Mac’s history.