McDonald’s introduced the Big Mac in 1967, first selling it at a restaurant in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
The sandwich was created by franchisee Jim Delligatti, who wanted a larger hamburger that could compete with similar offerings from other restaurants. Its two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and sesame-seed bun gave McDonald’s a distinctive flagship product.
The Big Mac became nationally available in the United States in 1968, one year after its initial introduction. This two-stage history is the source of a common date mix-up: 1967 identifies the original introduction, while 1968 marks the national rollout. The sandwich’s name and advertising helped make it one of McDonald’s most recognizable product brands.
The Big Mac also became useful beyond menus. The Economist later created the Big Mac Index as an informal way to compare purchasing power between currencies, showing how strongly the product name had entered international culture.