The Big Mac became McDonald’s signature hamburger after its national launch in 1968.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in the Pittsburgh area, created the sandwich as a larger alternative to the company’s standard hamburgers. It used two beef patties, a middle bun layer, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a special sauce. The distinctive three-part bun helped separate it visually from other menu items.
The sandwich first appeared in selected restaurants before McDonald’s introduced it nationally in 1968. Its name and construction quickly made it an important part of the company’s menu identity and advertising. The Big Mac later became one of the most internationally recognizable fast-food products.
The Big Mac is sometimes confused with the Quarter Pounder because both are flagship McDonald’s hamburgers. The Quarter Pounder is defined by its larger single beef patty, while the Big Mac is defined by its two patties and middle bun.