McDonald's introduced its joined Golden Arches logo in 1962.
The design developed from the large yellow arches built into McDonald's restaurant buildings during the 1950s. Jim Schindler, the company's head of construction and engineering, combined the two arches into a single graphic resembling an “M.” The new symbol was more adaptable than an architectural feature because it could appear on signs, packaging, advertisements, and uniforms.
The arches were not McDonald's first logo. Earlier restaurants used a single-arch building design and other wordmarks, while the McDonald brothers' original Speedee service symbol represented the pre-arches era. The 1962 mark helped establish a recognizable visual identity as McDonald's expanded beyond its early California locations.
The Golden Arches later became one of the world's best-known corporate symbols. Their shape is often mistaken for a literal letter M from the beginning, but the form originated in restaurant architecture before becoming a logo.