In what year did the Big Mac debut?

The Big Mac debuted in 1967.

McDonald’s franchisee Jim Delligatti created the sandwich for his restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. He wanted a larger, more substantial burger that could compete with the double-decker Big Boy hamburger sold by Big Boy Restaurants. The first reported Big Mac debut took place at Delligatti’s McDonald’s in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on April 22, 1967.

The sandwich used two beef patties, lettuce, pickles, onions, cheese, special sauce, and a three-part sesame-seed bun. Before settling on Big Mac, McDonald’s considered names including Aristocrat and Blue Ribbon Burger. Advertising secretary Esther Glickstein Rose is credited with proposing the successful name.

The most common date confusion comes from the rollout. The Big Mac was tested and introduced regionally in 1967, but it was added to the menus of McDonald’s restaurants across the United States in 1968. Therefore, “debut” points to 1967, while 1968 describes the nationwide expansion.