Which McDonald's logo element was added to the corporate logo in 1962: the Golden Arches or Speedee?

The Golden Arches were added to the McDonald's corporate logo in 1962.

The logo change made the restaurant's architectural arches into a recognizable graphic symbol. Jim Schindler developed the logo design by combining the two arches into the familiar stylized M, which became one of the world's most recognizable corporate marks. The arches had already been used as architectural features on McDonald's restaurant buildings.

This history is often confused with the earlier Speedee character logo, which represented McDonald's Speedee Service System. Speedee belonged to an earlier phase of the brand, while the Golden Arches became the dominant visual identity. The logo has been redrawn and paired with different wordmarks over the years, but the arches remain its defining element.