McDonald's introduced the familiar overlapping Golden Arches logo in 1968.
The company had used separate architectural arches since the 1950s, but the logo evolved into a stylized M when the arches were combined graphically. Jim Schindler is credited with creating this version, which became a compact corporate mark that could appear on signs, packaging, uniforms, and advertisements.
The 1968 design was especially important because McDonald's was expanding rapidly through franchising. A standardized emblem helped customers identify restaurants across different locations while preserving the visual connection to the earlier buildings.
People sometimes date the logo to 1952 because that was the year the first physical arches were designed. Those arches and the later overlapping logo are related, but they are not the same branding milestone. The logo has been adjusted over time, while the basic golden M remains central to McDonald's identity.