McDonald’s introduced the Big Mac nationwide in the United States in 1968.
The sandwich was created by Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in the Pittsburgh area. It used two beef patties, a middle bun section, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and Big Mac sauce.
Delligatti had tested the sandwich locally before McDonald’s adopted it across the country. Its three-part bun helped distinguish it from ordinary single-patty hamburgers.
The Big Mac had been sold regionally before the national launch, so 1968 refers to its broad United States introduction rather than the earliest local testing.