McDonald's introduced the Happy Meal in 1979 as a branded children's meal.
The meal combined a child-sized portion with a toy, turning the packaging and promotion into an important part of McDonald's family branding. It followed regional experiments, including a 1970s concept developed in the United States.
The Happy Meal was not the first children's meal sold by a fast-food restaurant, and its exact contents have varied by market. The name, box design, and toy partnerships became its most recognizable branding elements.
People sometimes confuse the launch year with the year the meal was tested or with later international rollouts. The core U.S. introduction date is 1979.