McDonald’s is the company whose logo features the Golden Arches, a stylized yellow letter M.
The arches originated in the architecture of McDonald’s early restaurants. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed two large yellow arches for the restaurant opened by Richard and Maurice McDonald in Downey, California, in 1953. Seen from certain angles, the arches formed an M.
The arches became part of McDonald’s visual identity during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the familiar logo shape. The design was simplified over time, and the Golden Arches became recognizable even without the company name.
A common mix-up is assuming the logo was originally created as a literal letter M. Its design developed from the physical arches on restaurant buildings, although the combined form later functioned perfectly as the first letter of McDonald’s. The arches are now used worldwide in signs, packaging, advertisements, and digital branding.