What was McDonald's first breakfast sandwich, introduced in 1971?

The Egg McMuffin was McDonald's first breakfast sandwich, introduced in 1971.

Herb Peterson created the sandwich in Southern California as a portable breakfast built around an English muffin, egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese. Its format made it practical for customers using McDonald's drive-through or eating on the go.

The Egg McMuffin became a major part of McDonald's brand expansion because it helped establish breakfast as a routine restaurant occasion. McDonald's had previously been strongly associated with lunch and dinner, but the sandwich gave the company a signature morning product.

The Egg McMuffin is sometimes confused with the later Sausage McMuffin or with McDonald's broader breakfast menu. The specific historical milestone is that the Egg McMuffin was the original breakfast sandwich and the product that anchored the chain's national breakfast identity.