Burger King introduced the Whopper in 1957 at its first restaurant in Miami, Florida.
The sandwich was created by Burger King founders James McLamore and David Edgerton as a larger hamburger designed to distinguish the young chain from competitors. Its name was intended to suggest something unusually large or substantial, helping the product stand out on the menu.
The original Whopper consisted of a flame-grilled beef patty with toppings served in a sesame-seed bun. Its precise presentation and ingredients have changed in different markets and eras, but the sandwich has remained Burger King’s signature product.
The Whopper was introduced several years after Burger King began operating. It is therefore different from the chain’s founding date and from the 1963 introduction of the Whopper Jr., a smaller sandwich that later became another familiar menu item.