Who invented the Big Mac, McDonald's signature burger that became a branding icon?

Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac.

Delligatti was a McDonald's franchisee in the Pittsburgh area who developed the two-beef-patty sandwich with a middle bun layer. He created it to offer a more substantial menu item for customers who wanted a larger burger.

The Big Mac was introduced in 1967 in select locations and became available across the United States in 1968. Its layered construction, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions gave it a distinctive identity within McDonald's branding.

The sandwich's name and advertising helped make it more than a menu item: it became a globally recognizable symbol of McDonald's. The famous ingredient mnemonic, “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun,” further embedded it in popular culture.