McDonald's

McDonald's

1954

McDonald's sold the first of their billions of hamburgers, fries and shakes in a small California burger joint. Who knew they would one day rule the world?

The First Mention I've come across for McDonald's is this advertisement from the December 12, 1954 Los Angeles Times. The ad ran just as the chain was beginning its expansion under the McDonald's Speedee Hamburger name.

The Golden Arches, though, were already well on their way to becoming a familiar national, then international, icon.

Here's what an early restaurant ad looked like, from the July 21, 1955 Fresno Bee.

If you're interested in a bit of history of the Golden Arches themselves, and on Stanley Clark Meston, the near-forgotten architect who designed the very first Golden Arch, take a look at this interesting article, The Origins of McDonald's Golden Arches.

And if that's more information than you need to know, then I'll understand if you just skip it.

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