The Big Mac became McDonald’s first nationally advertised signature sandwich in 1968.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in Pennsylvania, created the sandwich in 1967. It used two beef patties, a middle bun section, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and the sauce later known worldwide as Big Mac sauce. McDonald’s tested the sandwich locally before adding it to the national menu in 1968.
The Big Mac gave McDonald’s a distinctive flagship item at a time when the menu was expanding beyond basic hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Its three-part bun and two-patty construction made it visually different from the simpler sandwiches that had defined the early menu. Advertising turned that distinctive format into a major part of the company’s identity.
The Big Mac should not be confused with the Quarter Pounder, which debuted nationally in 1971 and is defined by its quarter-pound pre-cooked beef portion. The Filet-O-Fish also predates the Big Mac, but it was created as a seafood option rather than as the brand’s signature burger.