The Big Mac was the McDonald's menu item named in 1967 that became the chain's signature burger.
Franchisee Jim Delligatti created the sandwich to offer a larger burger for customers who wanted a more substantial meal. It was first sold in the Pittsburgh area in 1967 and became available nationally in the United States in 1968.
The name “Big Mac” was selected from suggestions considered by McDonald's, and it soon became a powerful part of the company's product branding. Its distinctive three-part bun, two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions made it visually and verbally different from ordinary hamburgers.
The Big Mac is sometimes confused with the Quarter Pounder, another famous McDonald's burger. The Quarter Pounder is defined by its beef-patty weight before cooking, while the Big Mac is defined by its layered construction and branded sauce.