What visual symbol did McDonald's turn into its corporate logo in 1962?

McDonald's turned its restaurant arches into the corporate logo known as the Golden Arches in 1962.

The original arches were physical design elements on McDonald's buildings. They were intended to make restaurants visible from the road and gave locations a consistent architectural feature. As the chain expanded, that shape offered a natural foundation for a unified visual identity.

In 1962, the two arches were stylized into the yellow “M” associated with McDonald's. The logo was not simply a photograph or drawing of one building; it was a graphic interpretation of a recurring architectural feature.

The term “Golden Arches” is also used broadly for the McDonald's brand, so it can be confused with the restaurant designs themselves. The design history is sequential: architecture came first, and the corporate symbol developed from it. That transformation helped the mark work across signs, packaging, advertising, and international markets.