The Egg McMuffin became McDonald’s first nationally advertised breakfast sandwich.
Herb Peterson created the Egg McMuffin in 1971 at a McDonald’s restaurant in Santa Barbara, California. It used an English muffin, a round egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese, giving the chain a portable breakfast product with a distinct identity.
The item helped McDonald’s establish breakfast as a major part of its brand. After regional testing and expansion, the Egg McMuffin became a nationwide menu item in 1975.
The Sausage McMuffin and other breakfast products followed, but the Egg McMuffin is the foundational sandwich associated with McDonald’s breakfast branding. Its name also became one of the company’s most recognizable product marks.