Ronald McDonald was introduced as a McDonald's mascot in 1963.
The character first appeared in a television commercial in the Washington, D.C., market. Television personality Willard Scott played the original Ronald, who was presented as a clown connected with McDonald's restaurants and children.
Ronald helped McDonald's create a more memorable family-oriented identity during a period when television advertising was becoming increasingly important. The character later became the central figure in McDonaldland, an imaginary world populated by other advertising characters.
Some accounts connect Ronald's appearance with earlier clown imagery used in restaurant advertising, but 1963 is the standard date for his introduction as the McDonald's mascot. He should not be confused with Speedee, the earlier chef mascot, or with the Hamburglar and Grimace, who arrived later.