McDonald’s introduced the Big Mac nationally in 1968.
The Big Mac had been created and tested earlier at a McDonald’s restaurant in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, by franchisee Jim Delligatti. After regional success, McDonald’s made the sandwich part of its nationwide menu in 1968.
Its distinctive branding included two beef patties, a middle bun layer, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions. The sandwich became one of McDonald’s most recognizable menu symbols and later inspired the Big Mac Index, an informal comparison of international prices.
The national introduction date is sometimes confused with the sandwich’s invention date. Delligatti developed it before 1968, but 1968 is the year McDonald’s rolled the Big Mac out nationally.