The Big Mac was McDonald’s first nationally sold signature burger, introduced in 1968.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in the Pittsburgh area, created the sandwich after experimenting with a larger burger. The Big Mac used two beef patties, a middle slice of bread, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and special sauce on a three-part bun.
McDonald’s introduced the sandwich nationally in 1968 after regional testing. Its unusual stacked design and distinctive name made it a powerful branding device, not just another menu item. The product quickly became one of the company’s most recognizable symbols.
The Quarter Pounder was introduced later, in 1971. Although both are major McDonald’s burgers, the Big Mac is the sandwich most strongly associated with the chain’s late-1960s global identity.