McDonald’s is one of the leading restaurant chains in the world, touching the lives of people everyday. The long

journey of the burger brand started in 1940, when two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald opened the first McDonald’s

restaurant in San Bernardino, California. Initially, they owned a hotdog stand, but after establishing the restaurant

they served around 25 items, which were mostly barbequed. It became a popular and profitable teen hangout. In

1948, the brothers closed and reopened the restaurant to sell only hamburgers, milkshakes and French fries.

 

As per the information of the McDonald’s history, the major revenue came from hamburgers, which were sold at a

nominal price of 15 cents. The restaurant gradually became famous and the McDonald brothers begin franchising

their restaurant in the year 1953. The first franchise was taken by Neil Fox and under it; the second Mc Donald’s

restaurant was opened in Fresno, California. It was the first to introduce the Golden Arch design. The third and fourth

restaurants were opened in Saginaw, Michigan and Downey, California, respectively.

 

The latter is the oldest Mc Donald’s restaurant still in operation. In 1954, an entrepreneur and milkshake-mixer

salesman, Ray Kroc, acquired the franchise of McDonald’s restaurant for outside California and Arizona. In effect,

Kroc opened his first and the overall ninth restaurant in Illinois, Chicago, and gave birth to Mc Donald’s Corporation.

In 1958, the restaurant chain sold its 100 millionth hamburger. In 1960, Kroc renamed his company as ‘McDonald’s

Corporation’. In 1961, Kroc convinced the McDonald brothers to sell the business rights to him for a sum $2.7milion.

 

Later that year, the Hamburger University was opened, which gave away McDonald's restaurant Bachelor

ofHamburgology degrees to students. In 1963, the mascot Ronald McDonald was born as a part of a marketing

strategy in US. In 1967, the first restaurant outside US was opened in Richmond, British Columbia. In 1974, the

3000th restaurant opened in Woolwich, United Kingdom, which is the first of the country. Happy Meal was introduced

in US in 1979. In 1984, the company became the main sponsor of the Summer Olympics. The year was also marked

by the death of Ray Kroc.

 

In 1988, the first restaurant opened in a communist country in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, followed by the first Soviet

restaurant in Moscow (1990). In 1992, the largest McDonald’s was opened in Beijing, China, having over 700 seats

and was later demolished. In 1993, the first sea-going restaurant was established, aboard the Finnish Cruise-ferry

Silja Europa, sailing between Helsinki and Stockholm. In 1994, McDonald’s bagged the Catalyst Award for its

program for ‘fostering leadership development in women’. In 1996, the first Indian restaurant was opened.

 

In 2003, the company launched the ‘I’m lovin’ it’ campaign. In 2005, McDonald’s started its McDelivery service in

Singapore. In 2006, the chain announced that it will publish nutritional information on its packaging of all its products,

for the benefit of the customers. Considering the huge success and brand McDonald’s has become, the food chain is

spread across the world in almost all the major cities of the globe. Being economic and user friendly, the success rate

of the company cannot be doubted.

1954

Ray Kroc became the first franchisee appointed by Mac and Dick McDonald in San Bernardino, California.

1955

Ray Kroc opened his first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois (near Chicago), and the McDonald's Corporation was created.

1957

Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (Q.S.C. & V.) became the company motto.

1959

The 100th McDonald's opened in Chicago.PHOTO: The McDonald brothers (Dick right and Mac center) discussing plans with an executive.

1961

Ray Kroc bought all rights to the McDonald's concept from the McDonald's brothers for $2.7 million. Hamburger University opened in Elk Grove, near Chicago.

1963

One billion hamburgers sold. The 500th restaurant opened. The 500th student graduates from Hamburger University. Ronald McDonald made his debut. McDonald's net income exceeded $1 million.

1964

Filet-o-Fish sandwich introduced.

1965

McDonald's Corporation went public. Per earning ratio varies from 10 to 22 during year; stock price range, 15 - 33.5.

1966

McDonald's listed on the New York stock exchange on the 7th May.

1967

The first restaurants outside of the USA opened in Canada and Puerto Rico.

1968

The Big Mac was introduced. The 1,000th restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois.

1970

McDonald's restaurant in every US state. Ray Cesca (Director of Global Purchasing of the McDonald's Corporation) has admitted that when McDonald's opened stores in Costa Rica in 1970, they were using beef from cattle raised on ex-rainforest land, deforested in the 1950's and 1960's. New countries - Virgin Islands, Costa Rica.PHOTO: The first Japanese McDonald's in Tokyo.

1971

The Egg McMuffin sandwich was test marketed in the US as McDonald's first breakfast menu item. McDonald's Japanese President, Den Fujita, stated "the reason Japanese people are so short and have yellow skins is because they have eaten nothing but fish and rice for two thousand years"; "if we eat McDonald's hamburgers and potatoes for a thousand years we will become taller, our skin become white and our hair blonde". New countries - Japan, Holland, Australia, Germany, Panama, Guam.

1972

Assets exceeded $500 million and sales surpassed $1 billion. A new McDonald's restaurant opening every day. New countries - France, El Salvador. The 2,000th restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois. The Quarter Pounder was introduced. Ray Kroc made a $250,000 donation to the controversial 1972 presidential campaign of Richard Nixon, a donation which was perhaps a subject of investigation during the Watergate corruption scandal. Passages in the 'Behind The Arches' book (written with McDonald's backing and assistance) state that the donation came around the very time that McDonald's franchisees were lobbying to prevent an increase in the minimum wage, and to get legislation (dubbed 'The McDonald's Bill') passed to be able to pay a sub- minimum wage to some young workers.

1973

McDonald's Golden Arches Restaurants Limited founded in UK as a joint venture partnership between the McDonald's Corporation and two businessmen; one British, one American.

New country - Sweden. Egg McMuffin introduced.

1974

The 3,000th McDonald's restaurant was opened in Woolwich (south east London) in October, the first in the UK. The company admitted that NOBODY went in and later decided to target children with TV ads. The UK Head Office was sited in Hampstead, North London. Up to 1974, McDonald's employees in Puerto Rico were unionised, but the company was sold to a new franchisee. A dispute followed, closing all the stores and McDonald's pulled out of Puerto Rico. They reopened in 1980 with non-union labour. New countries - England, Netherlands, Antilles, Guatemala. The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia. At a San Francisco Labor Board hearing, McDonald's workers testified that lie-detectors had been used to ask about union sympathies, following which the company was threatened with legal action.PHOTO: McDonald's buildings have undergone dramatic changes from the first one opened by Kroc in 1955 (top) which is now preserved as a museum, to this ultra modern restaurant opened in 1983 in New Orleans (bottom).

1975

The company's first Drive-Thru opened in Sierra Vista, Arizona. New countries - Hong Kong, Bahamas, Nicaragua. Fred Turner becomes Chairman, Ray Kroc Senior Chairman, and Ed Schmitt becomes President. Broadcast advertising appeared in UK cinemas.

1976

McDonald's first UK TV advertisement was broadcast. 4,000th store opened in Canada. New countries - Switzerland, New Zealand. Largest restaurant opens - with 334 seats.

1977

New countries - Ireland, Austria. Breakfast menu introduced, nationally in America.

1978

The 5,000th restaurant opened in Kanagawa, Japan and it made US $1 million in its first year. Sundaes introduced in USA. In one store in Chicago (USA), a majority of McDonald's workers joined a union. The company then took legal action to stop recognition for the union unless they could get a majority in the 8 stores run by the franchisee. New country - Belgium.

1979

A 7 month strike in Dublin (Ireland) lead to recognition of the ITGWU union. In 1985, two union activists won a victory at a labour court after claiming victimisation and unfair dismissal. New countries - Brazil and Singapore.

1980

The 6,000th restaurant opened in Munich. After workers in a store in Detroit (USA) joined a union, the company organised a visit by a top baseball star, staff disco, and 'McBingo' prior to elections for union representation. First floating restaurant on a steamer in Missouri. 1,000th international restaurant opened.

1981

New countries - Spain, Denmark and Malaysia.

1982

Geoffrey Guiliano, a main Ronald McDonald actor, quit and publicly apologised, stating "I brainwashed youngsters into doing wrong. I want to say sorry to children everywhere for selling out to concerns who make millions by murdering animals". 7,000th restaurant opened in Washington DC. McDonald's were responsible for food poisoning outbreak caused by E. Coli bacteria, which affected 47 people in Oregon and Michigan, USA. Egon Ronay calls McDonald's burgers 'uninspiring'. Breakfast was introduced to the British menu.PHOTO: The $40 million 'Hamburger University'.

1983

The McDonald's Corporation became sole owners of McDonald's in the UK. The Company is named McDonald's Hamburgers Limited. Five consignments of Brazilian beef are secretly imported for McDonald's UK stores.

The 100th UK restaurant opened in Market Street, Manchester. New country - Norway. Introduction of Chicken McNuggets in USA. New Hamburger University campus opens in Oak Brook, Illinois. Set in 80 wooded acres. Training is provided for every level of McDonald's management worldwide. A lodge with 154 rooms in also on the same site. In Arkansas (USA), the UFCW union, which was interested in recruiting McDonald's workers, was involved in a union dispute at a chicken processing plant supplying McDonald's. The union launched a boycott of McDonald's 'McNuggets' and picketed many of its stores. Stan Stein (McDonald's Head of Personnel and Labour Relations) spent up to '80%' of a whole year fighting the union's campaign.

1984

Founder Ray Kroc dies. James Huberty shoots 22 people dead at a McDonald's in San Diego (USA). 50 billionth hamburger sold. Ronald McDonald Children's Charities is founded in his memory to raise funds in support of child welfare. A McDonald's pamphlet which is distributed to health professionals in the UK states:

"There is a considerable amount of evidence to suggest that many of the diseases which are more common in the western, affluent world - diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and some forms of cancer - are related to diet. The typical western diet is relatively low in dietary fibre (roughage) and high in fat, salt and sugar."

McDonald's now serves 17 million customers a day - equivalent to serving lunch to the entire population of Australia and New Zealand. If McDonald's lined up all the hamburgers sold since 1955, they would:-

Circle the equator 103.75 times;  Reach to the moon and back 5 times.

PHOTO: Ray Kroc demonstrating his fetish for cleanliness.

1985

London Greenpeace (a radical group of civil rights and environmental campaigners, independent of Greenpeace International) launches a campaign intended to expose the reality behind the advertising mask of the fast food chains, including McDonald's. Sergio Quintana, the sales director of Coop Montecillos (the sole supplier of beef to McDonald's stores in Costa Rica since 1970), stated on camera that his company's beef was being supplied to McDonald's in the USA.

1986

Drive-Thru restaurants opened in UK at Fallowfield, Dudley, Neasden and Coventry. Four workers in Madrid who had called for union elections were sacked by McDonald's. The company was forced to reinstate the workers after the labour court ruled that the dismissals were illegal. The 200th UK restaurant opened in lpswich.

PICTURE: Cover of the "What's wrong with McDonald's?" factsheet produced by London Greenpeace.

McDonald's became the first UK restaurant group to introduce nutritional information, throughout the country, for the benefit of customers. London Greenpeace published a 6-sided factsheet entitled "What's Wrong With McDonald's? - Everything They Don't Want You To Know". The first UK franchisee-operated restaurant opened in Hayes, Middlesex. The first World Day of Action Against McDonald's was held on 16th October (UN 'World Food Day').

1987

The Attorneys General of Texas, California and New York threatened to sue McDonald's under the consumer protection laws over an advertising campaign claiming that McDonald's food is nutritious. The Attorneys General concluded that the campaign was deceptive because "McDonald's food is, as a whole, not nutritious." McDonald's is serving 20 million people a day in nearly 10,000 restaurants in 47 countries. The UK Midlands regional training centre opened in Sutton Coldfield. McDonald's started legal proceedings against the Transnationals Information Centre (an independent research and action group based in London) over a booklet they produced called "Working for Big Mac" which was highly critical of the company's employment practices. The TIC backed down lacking resources to fight the case to trial, discontinued publication and distribution of the booklet (which was pulped), and the organisation itself went bust.

1988

McDonald's sponsored the Child of Achievement Awards. CFCs ceased to be used for most of McDonald's styrofoam packaging. 300th UK restaurant opened in Dagenham, Essex.PHOTO:An ad in a German newspaper which aims to counter criticism that McDonald's is changing German restaurant traditions for the worse.

1989

Italian designer Valentino attempts in a Rome court to stop McDonald's opening near the Piazza di Spagna, complaining of "noise and disgusting odours". McDonald's is listed on the Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Tokyo stock exchanges.

The Bournemouth Advertiser (UK) is threatened with a libel action by McDonald's over an article which discussed the captive-bolt method of slaughter for cattle. The newspaper backed down and published an apology. Michael Quinlan is appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The UK company's name was changed to McDonald's Restaurants Limited. McDonald's send undercover private investigators to infiltrate London Greenpeace over a period of 20 months. McDonald's charity for child welfare fundraising, Ronald McDonald Children's Charities, was registered. McDonald's Child of Achievement Awards were presented by UK Prime Minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher. The UK Manchester regional training centre was opened. McDonald's stores in Philadelphia (USA) were independently surveyed and accused of having racist differential wage rates between the inner-city stores (mostly black workers) and the suburbs (mostly white workers).

1990

September - libel writs were served on five supporters of London Greenpeace, three of whom feel unable to fight the case. The McLibel Support Campaign is set up to generate solidarity and financial backing for the McLibel Defendants. McDonald's opened in Pushkin Square and Gorky Street, Moscow. McDonald's opened at a UK airport at North Terminal, Gatwick. The first Ronald McDonald House opened at Guy's Hospital, London. McDonald's Child of Achievement Awards attended by HRH The Princess of Wales.

1991

McDonald's were responsible for a serious food poisoning outbreak in Preston (UK), when several customers were hospitalised as a result of eating undercooked burgers contaminated by potentially deadly E.Coli 0157H bacteria. The 150th Ronald McDonald House opened in Paris. McDonald's opened in Beijing, China. The 400th UK restaurant (and first in Northern Ireland) is opened in Belfast. McDonald's opens in Hampstead (North London) despite strong opposition from local residents.PHOTO: A 1950's newspaper advert.

1992

Mark Hopkins, a McDonald's worker in Manchester (UK), was fatally electrocuted on touching a 'fat filtering unit' in the 'wash-up' area of the store.

The manager of a Newcastle store (UK) was jailed for 6 months for inducing a crew member to phone through a hoax bomb threat to nearby Burger King in order to boost sales at McDonald's. McDonald's Child of Achievement Awards attended by UK Prime Minister John Major. McDonald's opened in a railway station at Liverpool Street, London. A UK Health & Safety Executive report made 23 recommendations for improvements in the safety of employees. One of its conclusions was "The application of McDonald's hustle policy [ie. getting staff to work at speed] in many restaurants was, in effect, putting the service of the customer before the safety of employees." Visitors to Salisbury Cathedral (UK) are offered two burgers for the price of one if they buy a commemorative parchment scroll. The idea is dropped when the bishop gets back from holiday. First restaurant in a European hospital opened at Guy's Hospital, London.

1993

The first McDonald's at sea opened aboard the Silja Europa, the world's largest ferry sailing between Stockholm and Helsinki. The Paris planning authorities refuse permission for a McDonald's under the Eiffel Tower. The second Ronald McDonald House opened at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool. 500th UK restaurant opened in Notting Hill Gate, London. First UK operated restaurant on a ship opened on the Stena Sealink ferry "Fantasia" sailing between Dover and Calais. McDonald's sponsored athletics in the UK through the McDonald's Young Athletes' League and the International invitational meeting the McDonald's Games.

1994

McLibel Trial starts on 28th June. Restaurants opened in Bahrain, Bulgaria, Egypt, Kuwait, Latvia, Oman, New Caledonia, Trinidad and United Arab Emirates, bringing the total to over 15,000 in 79 countries on 6 continents. McDonald's celebrated twenty years of operating in the UK. McDonald's environmental image was revealed to be a sham, and customers being conned when it was discovered that rubbish which customers were asked to put into separated recycling bins throughout New Zealand stores was sent to the tip. McDonald's achieved the highest ever grade under the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)Quality Safety Audit scheme. McDonald's was voted the 'Most Parent Friendly' restaurant in the UK for the second successive year by the Tommy's Parent Friendly Campaign, supported by the Daily Telegraph. Workers in an Ontario store (Canada) joined a union, but the company managed to avoid recognition by ensuring victory in Labour Board sponsored elections. The McLibel Defendants issue a countersuit for libel against McDonald's over the company's accusation in a leaflet that they are telling lies.

Five McDonald's managers are arrested in Lyon, France for trying to rig union elections. On 1st October, McDonald's UK executives held a celebration along with a jazz band and clown at their Woolwich store to mark 20 years since this first store opened in the UK. Twenty five London Greenpeace and McLibel supporters gathered with a banner reading "20 Years of McGarbage" and handed out 4000 "What's Wrong With McDonald's?" leaflets to passers-by. In October, there is an demonstration at McDonald's European headquarters in London where sackfuls of the company's litter picked up off the streets are returned. 500 people attend the National March Against McDonald's through central London to protest against the company's exploitation of people, animals and the environment. The company threatens legal action against a topless restaurant in Australia called "McTits".

PHOTO:An ad in a German newspaper which aims to counter criticism that McDonald's is changing German restaurant traditions for the worse.

1995

McLibel Trial becomes the longest libel trial in British history on Day 102 in March. On 15th April, there were international protests to mark the 40th anniversary of the opening of the world's first store of the McDonald's Corporation, and to celebrate 10 years of co-ordinated international resistance to McDonald's. On the first anniversary of the McLibel Trial (28th June), it becomes known that McDonald's had initiated secret settlement negotiations and had twice flown members of their US Board of Directors to London to meet with the McLibel Defendants in an attempt to bring the case to an end. 12th October, the third anniversary of the death of Mark Hopkins, was a Day of Solidarity With McDonald's Workers in the UK. On 16th October, the 11th annual Worldwide Day of Action Against McDonald's, there were protests in at least 20 countries. In the UK, at least 250 of the company's 600 stores were leafletted. On 11th December (Day 199 of the trial), the McLibel Trial becomes the longest civil case in English history. Following widespread opposition by local residents, McDonald's were refused permission to open an outlet at their European headquarters in north London.

1996

February 16th 10am, the McSpotlight website was launched. In March, the public's intense concern over the links between the cattle disease BSE and its human equivalent CJD forced McDonald's UK to ban British beef. The company did not sell any beef products for a week while supposedly waiting for beef supplies to arrive from other EU countries. The "Vegetable Deluxe" was launched in the UK. McDonald's opened stores in India.

McDonald's and Disney announced a deal giving McDonald's exclusive rights to use characters from Disney films in its promotions around the world for 10 years. Commentators called it the biggest global marketing alliance yet devised. McDonald's opened a store in Belarus, its 100th country. The movie star Robin Williams turned down a million-pound offer to advertise McDonald's. McDonald's threatened the owner of a UK sandwich bar called "McMunchies" with legal action for breach of trademark. A retired Scottish school-teacher called Ronald McDonald, and the chief of the McDonald clan in Scotland were both outraged at this further attempt by McDonald's to claim global dominion over the prefix "Mc" and the name "McDonald" which has been an Irish and Scottish family name for centuries. The Supreme Court of Denmark ruled against McDonald's claim that a sausage stand called "McAllan's" was in breach of its trademark. Following widespread opposition by local residents in Winchmore Hill (north London) which put a lot of pressure on the local MP (Michael Portillo, the Defence Secretary), McDonald's were refused permission to convert the local Conservative Association HQ into a Drive-Thru. McDonald's sued for breach of trademark a Jamaican fast-food company (called the McDonald's Corporation Limited) which had been operating in Jamaica since the early 1970's. The Jamaican company succeeded in getting information from the McLibel Trial taken from the Internet ruled admissible in the case, and in getting an order barring McDonald's from opening stores in the country until the courtcase was completed. McDonald's succeeded in its trademark battle in South Africa, when an appeal court prohibited competitors from using its name and the golden arches symbol. McDonald's began spending $200 million on a promotional blitz in the USA & Canada to lure adults to visit their outlets. This included the launch of the new adult burger, the "Arch Deluxe" in May. Despite this blitz, US sales continued to fall. The parents of a child, who died from E.Coli 0157 food poisoning after eating McDonald's burgers in Spain and England, began legal proceedings for compensation in the USA. Meanwhile, three children who suffered E.Coli 0157 food poisoning in England also from McDonald's burgers were granted legal aid to sue McDonald's and their supplier McKey's. McDonald's opened the world's first fast-food ski-through in the Lindvallen resort (Sweden). The McLibel Trial became the longest trial of any kind in English legal history in November. The evidence was completed in July, and the closing speeches in December, but the Judge reserved his Judgment until the following year.

Timeline

1937: Dick and Mac McDonald open a hamburger stand called "The Airdrome" at the airport

in Monrovia, California.

1948: After noting that almost all of their profits came from hamburgers, the brothers closed the

restaurant for several months to implement their innovative "Speedee Service System", a

streamlinedassembly line for hamburgers. The carhops are fired, and when the restaurant reopens it

sells only hamburgers, milkshakes, and french fries. At 15 cents, the burgers are about half as

expensive as at standard diners, and they are served immediately. The restaurant is extremely

successful, and its fame is spread by word of mouth.

1953: The McDonalds begin to franchise their restaurant, with Neil Fox the first franchisee. The

second McDonald's opens in Phoenix, Arizona at N. Central Ave and Indian School Road. It is the

first to feature the Golden Arches design; later this year the original restaurant in San Bernardino is

rebuilt in the same style.

Fourth McDonald's restaurant in Downey, California, at the corner of Lakewood Blvd and Florence Ave. It is the oldest

McDonald's restaurant still in operation.

1953: Fourth McDonald's restaurant opens, in Downey, California at the corner of Lakewood Blvd and

Florence Avenue, and is the oldest McDonald's restaurant still in operation.[citation needed]

1954: Entrepreneur and milkshake-mixer salesman Ray Kroc becomes fascinated by the McDonald's

restaurant during a sales visit, when he learns of its extraordinary capacity and popularity. Others

who had visited the restaurant and come away inspired were James McLamore, founder of Burger

King, andGlen Bell, founder of Taco Bell. After seeing the restaurant in operation, Kroc approaches

the McDonald brothers, who have already begun franchising, with a proposition to let him franchise

McDonald's restaurants outside the company's home base of California and Arizona, with himself as

the first franchisee. Kroc works hard to sell McDonald's. He even attempts to prevail on his wartime

acquaintance with Walt Disney, in the failed hope of opening a McDonald's at the soon-to-be-

opened Disneyland.

Ray Kroc's first franchised restaurant, the tenth-ever location (though torn down and rebuilt twice), Fresno, California.

1955: Ray Kroc founds "McDonald's Systems, Inc." on March 2, as a legal structure for his planned

franchises. Kroc opens the ninth McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in suburban Chicago

on April 15.

1955: Ray Kroc hires Fred Turner (later CEO and Chairman) as a grillman in his store in Des Plaines.

1958: McDonald's worldwide sells its 100 millionth hamburger.

1959: The 100th McDonald's restaurant opens in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

1959: McDonald's begins billboard advertising.

1960: First New England location of McDonald's opens in Boston, Massachusetts.

1960: Kroc's company is renamed "McDonald's Corporation".

1961: The McDonald brothers agree to sell Kroc business rights to their operation for $2.7 million, a

sum that Kroc borrows from a number of investors, including Princeton University; Kroc considers the

sum extreme, and it strains his relationship with the brothers. In a handshake agreement, the brothers

would also receive an overriding royalty of 1% on the gross sales. At the closing table the brothers

told Ray that they were giving the real estate and rights to the original unit to the founding employees.

Ray closed the transaction, then refused to acknowledge the royalty portion of the agreement

because it wasn't in writing. The brothers keep their original restaurant, but in an oversight they fail to

retain the right to remain a McDonald's franchise. Renamed "The Big M", Kroc drives it out of

business by opening a McDonald's just one block north; he attends the opening. Had the brothers

maintained their original agreement, which granted them 0.5% of the chain's annual revenues, they or

their heirs would have been collecting in excess of $100 million per year today. Had the brothers

closed their handshake agreement with Ray, these royalties would have doubled.

1961: Hamburger University opens in the basement of the Elk Grove Village, Illinois, McDonald's

restaurant. Bachelor of Hamburgology degrees went to graduating class of 15.

1962: McDonald's first national magazine ad appears in Life   magazine .

1962: The first McDonald's restaurant with seating opens in Denver, Colorado.

1963: One of Kroc's marketing insights is his decision to advertise McDonald's hamburgers to families

and children. Washington, D.C. franchisees John Gibson and Oscar Goldstein (Gee Gee Distributing

Corporation) sponsor a children's show on WRC-TV called Bozo the Clown, a franchised character

played by Willard Scott from 1959 until 1962. After the show was cancelled, Goldstein hires Scott to

portray McDonald's new mascot, named Ronald McDonald. According to Scott, they wanted to pay

him in stock, but Scott decided to take the money. Scott, looking nothing like the familiar appearance

of any McDonaldland character as is known today, appeared in the first three television

advertisements featuring the character. After changing the character's first name to "Ronald" and

replacing Scott with a new actor, and giving him the more familiar red, white, and yellow clown

features, the character eventually spreads to the rest of the country via an advertising campaign.

Years later, an entire cast of "McDonaldland" characters is developed.

1963: The Filet-O-Fish is introduced in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a restaurant located in a neighborhood

dominated by Roman Catholics who practiced abstinence (the avoidance of meat) on Fridays. It is the

first new addition to the original menu, and goes national the following year, with fish supplied

by Gorton's of Gloucester. See also Lou Groen

1963: McDonald's sells its one billionth hamburger.

1963: The 500th McDonald's restaurant opens in Toledo, Ohio.

1964: McDonald's issues its first annual report.

1965: Second New England location opens in Windsor, Connecticut.

1967: Third location in New England opens in Providence, Rhode Island (also first in state)

1967: The first McDonald's restaurant outside the United States opens in Richmond, British

Columbia.

1967: The chain's stand-alone restaurant design which is still most common today, with mansard

roof and indoor seating, is introduced.

1968: The Big Mac (similar to the Big Boy hamburger), the brainchild of Jim Delligatti, one of Ray

Kroc's earliest franchisees, who by the late 1960s operated a dozen stores in Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania, is first introduced in the Pittsburgh market in 1967, before going system/nationwide a

year later, following its great local success. The Hot Apple Pie is also introduced this year.

1968: The 1000th McDonald's restaurant opens in Des Plaines, Illinois.

1970: McDonald's opens in Costa Rica, its third country after the United States and Canada.

1970: Having changed hands in 1968, the original "Big M" restaurant closes. It is demolished two

years later, with only part of the sign remaining; this has since been restored.

1971: The first Asian McDonald's opens in July in Japan, in Tokyo's Ginza district.

1971: On August 21, the first European McDonald's outlet opens, in Zaandam (near Amsterdam) in

the Netherlands. The franchisee is Ahold.

1971: The first McDonald's in Germany (Munich) opens in November. It is the first McDonald's to sell

alcohol, as it offers beer. Other European countries follow in the early 1970s.

1971: The first Australian McDonald's opens in the Sydney suburb of Yagoona in May.

1972: The McDonald's system generates $1 billion in sales through 2200 restaurants.[4]

An early-1970s McDonald's sign inAustin, Minnesota, showing the number of burgers sold. From 1969, the number was

displayed in billions, increasing with every 5 billion. When the total reached 100 billion in 1993, the signs of this era were

changed to display 99 billion permanently, as there was only room for two digits, though some signs use the "Billions and

Billions Served" tagline.

1972: The 2000th McDonald's restaurant opens in Des Plaines, Illinois.

1972: The first McDonald's in France opens, in Créteil, even though the company officially recognizes

the first outlet in Strasbourg in 1979.

1973: The first McDonald's Playland opens in Chula Vista, California.

1973: The first Swedish McDonald's restaurant opens in Stockholm, 23 October.

1973: The Quarter Pounder is introduced.

1973: The Egg McMuffin, invented by Herb Peterson, owner and operator of a Santa

Barbara franchise, is introduced to the menu.

1974: On October 12, the first McDonald's in the United Kingdom opens in Woolwich, southeast

London. It is the company's 3000th restaurant.

1974: The first Ronald McDonald House opens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1975: The first Hong Kong McDonald's opens in January in Paterson Street, in Causeway Bay, Hong

Kong Island. It is also the first McDonald's restaurant in Greater China and the Four Asian Tigers.

1975: Drive-Thru is introduced in January in Sierra Vista, Arizona in order to serve meals to soldiers

from nearby Fort Huachuca who were not allowed to wear BDUs while off post except while in a

vehicle. The Drive-Thru is later known as "McDrive" in some countries.

1976: McDonald's pays its first cash dividend.

1977: McDonald's adds a breakfast line to the U.S. menu.

1978: The 5000th McDonald's restaurant opens in Kanagawa, Japan.

1978: Hamburger University celebrates the graduation of its 15,000th student.

1979: The Happy Meal is introduced in the U.S.

1979: The first McDonald's in Southeast Asia opens, in Singapore.

1980: McDonald's introduces the McChicken sandwich, its first poultry item. It flops, and is removed

from the menu, but is later reintroduced after Chicken McNuggets prove successful.

1980: The Chicken McNuggets are introduced to the menu and instantly become a success by early-

1983.

1980: The 6000th McDonald's restaurant opens in Munich, Germany.

1981: The first Ronald McDonald House outside the U.S. opens in Toronto, Canada.

1981: The first McDonald's in the Philippines opens, in Morayta, Manila.

1982: The first McDonald's in Malaysia opens, at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

1982: McDonald's stages an in-house rivalry between the Chicken McNuggets and the Big Mac as

the advertising campaign involved the slogan "Which will be number one?".

1983: After gaining much success, the McNuggets begin rolling out nationwide starting in January.

1984: The first McDonald's in Taiwan opens in January, at Songshan District, Taipei.

1984: Ray Kroc dies on January 14.

1984: The company is a main sponsor of the 1984 Summer Olympics. Its U.S. restaurants lose

money on the game "When The US Wins, You Win" after the Soviet bloc nations boycott the Games,

leading to a high number of medals won by the U.S (this is later parodied in an episode of The

Simpsons, with Krusty the Klown's Krusty Burger chain suffering a similar fate).

1984: On 18 July, James Huberty committed the worst mass murder (at the time) in the US, when he

opened fire at the San Ysidro branch, killing 21 people before he was gunned down by

a SWATteam sniper.

1985: McDonald's opens its first restaurant in Italy, in Bolzano.

1985: Saul Kahan opens the first McDonald's restaurant in Mexico City, Mexico.

1987: The first Macauese McDonald's opens on the Rua do Campo, Macau. It's also the first

McDonald's restaurant in Portugal when Macau was under the control of Portugal.

1987: On August 12, a Piper Cheyenne, which started in Augsburg, Germany, was on a simulated

approach to Munich's main airport Riem, when all instruments failed. The plane crashed into the

McDonald's restaurant in the Wasserburger Landstrasse. Fourteen people were killed in the incident:

4 in the plane, 3 on the street or in a bus, which was also struck by the plane, and 7 in the restaurant.

The McDonald's in the Wasserburger Landstrasse has since been rebuilt. [1]

1988: The first Korean McDonald's restaurant opens in March, in Seoul's Apgujeong-dong district.

1988: McDonald's opens its first restaurant in a communist country,

in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). Budapest, Hungary follows in the same year.

McDonald's in Saint Petersburg, Russia

A McDonald's in a Toronto, Ontario, Canada Wal-Mart store. Note the maple leaf on the Golden Arches.

McDonald's in Barcelona, Spain

McDonald's in Sanya, Hainan (China). This one is a soft drink/ice cream stand.

First McDonald's restaurant inZamboanga City, Philippines opened February 28, 2005

1990: On January 31, the first Soviet McDonald's opens, in Moscow. At the time it is the largest

McDonald's in the world . For political reasons, McDonald's Canada is responsible for this opening,

with little input from the U.S. parent company; a wall display within the restaurant shows the

Canadian and Soviet flags. To overcome Soviet supply problems, the company creates its own

supply chain, including farms, within the USSR. Unlike other foreign investments, the restaurant

accepts rubles, not dollars, and is extremely popular, with waiting lines of several hours common in its

early days.

1990: Many other McDonald's restaurants open in Eastern Europe.

1990: In October, the first McDonald's opens in mainland China, in the city and Special Economic

Zone (SEZ) of Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

1991: McDonald's opens its first restaurant in Portugal (expect Macau), in Lisbon's Cascaishopping.

1992: The first McDonald's opens in Africa, in Casablanca, Morocco.

1992: Stella Liebeck receives third-degree burns from coffee purchased at a McDonald's drive-

through. She sued in what became known as theMcDonald's coffee case.

1992: Derek Wood, an employee, and two friends rob a McDonald's in Sydney River, Nova Scotia,

killing three and severely injuring another. Wood is serving a life sentence for his role in the Sydney

River McDonald's murders.

1992: On April 23, the world's largest McDonald's opens in Beijing, China (over 700 seats). Along

with adjacent buildings, it is later demolished.

1992: On April 28, seven McDonald's restaurants are bombed in Taiwan, killing one policeman and

injuring four.

1992: The fried apple pie is replaced with a baked apple pie. Fried pies can still be found today in

some locations, see the Fried Apple Pie Locator.

1993: The company launches its first sea-going restaurant aboard the Finnish cruiseferry Silja

Europa, sailing between Helsinki and Stockholm.

1993: On December 8, McDonald's opens its golden arches in Saudi Arabia for the first time.

1994: The Catalyst Award is given to McDonald's in honour of their program to foster leadership

development in women.

1995: McDonald's receives complaints from franchisees that too many franchises are being granted,

leading to competition among franchisees. McDonald's starts conducting market impact studies

before granting further franchises.

1995: In an effort to cultivate a more "adult" image, McDonald's launches the Arch Deluxe sandwich

with a massive ad campaign. Both the campaign and sandwich fail miserably and are quickly

discontinued.

1995: Following the end of apartheid, the first McDonald's in South Africa opens.

1996: First McDonald's opens in Belarus, marking the chain's 100th country (by its own calculation;

however, this total included many non-sovereign territories). At the opening ceremony, the

Belarusian militia are accused of brutality toward members of the public hoping to enter the restaurant

in Minsk.

1996: First McDonald's opens in Lima, Peru, managed by Operaciones Arcos Dorados de Perú S.A.

1996: The first Indian McDonald's opens.

1997: McDonald's wins the "McLibel" case, in what many consider to be a Pyrrhic victory in terms of

the company's image. Only about half of the counts are in McDonald's favour despite enormous legal

resources deployed against self-representing defendants.

1997: The McFlurry is invented by a Canadian franchisee.

1998: Jack M. Greenberg succeeds Michael R. Quinlan as CEO.

1999: First McDonald's restaurant opens in Tbilisi, Georgia. Jack Greenberg is elevated to Chairman

and CEO.

1999: French leftist activist José Bové and others gain worldwide attention when they destroy a half-

built McDonald's franchise in Millau (Aveyron). The incident follows a European Union ban on

American meat imports, on the grounds that they use hormone treatments; in response the U.S. had

increased import duties on French Roquefort cheese and other European Union products. Bové was

sentenced to three months in prison for his role in the incident.

2000: Eric Schlosser publishes Fast Food Nation, a book critical of fast food in general and

McDonald's in particular.

2000: The company opens its 1000th British store, inside the Millennium Dome.

2001: The FBI reports that employees of Simon Worldwide, a company hired by McDonald's to

provide promotion marketing services for Happy Meals and the 'Millionaire'/'Monopoly' contest, stole

winning game pieces worth more than $20 million.

2002: A survey in Restaurants and Institutions magazine ranks McDonald's 15th in food quality

among hamburger chains, highlighting the company's failure to enforce standards across its franchise

network.

2002: McDonald's posts its first quarterly loss ($344m), for the last quarter. It responds to the stiff

competition from other fast-food restaurants, offering higher quality burgers and more variety, by

attempting to move more upmarket by expanding its menu and refitting restaurants. It announces it is

withdrawing from three countries (including Bolivia) and closing 175 underperforming restaurants.

2002: In October of this year, McDonald's opens the first of 2 corporate stores in Lincoln, Nebraska to

test concept restaurant called "3N1". The concept incorporated a "Sandwich & Platter" casual dining

area, a "bakery and ice cream" area featuring gourmet coffees, and a traditional McDonald's into one

building [2]. The second store is launched approximately six months later [3]. The concept is

spearheaded by Tom Ryan, who was Executive Vice President and Chief Concept Officer at the time.

The concept is abandoned in less than a year, and Ryan leaves McDonald's to join Quiznos Sub [4].

2003: James Richard Cantalupo is elected Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, succeeding Jack

M. Greenberg. Just prior to assuming his post Cantalupo shuts down Project Innovate, a global

consulting project that had already spent $170 million of a projected 5-year budget of $1.2 billion.[5]

2003: McDonald's starts a global marketing campaign which promotes a new healthier and higher-

quality image. The campaign was labeled "i'm lovin' it" and begins simultaneously in more than 100

countries around the world.

2003: According to Technomic, a market research firm, McDonald's share of the U.S. market had

fallen three percentage points in five years and was at 15.2%. [5]

2003: The firm reports a $126M USD loss for the fourth quarter [6].

2003: McDonald's introduces their premium salads, the McGriddles and the chicken selects.

2004: Morgan Spurlock directs and stars in Super Size Me, a documentary film in which he eats

nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days to the great detriment of his health.

2004: After the release of Super Size Me, McDonald's does away with their Supersize options.

2004: Chairman and CEO Jim Cantalupo dies suddenly at the age of 60 in his hotel room of an

apparent heart attack while attending the annual franchisee convention in Las Vegas, Nevada on

April 19. A 30-year veteran of the organization, Cantalupo had previously served as President and

CEO of McDonald's International. He is credited with introducing the premium salad line and

reformulating Chicken McNuggets to include leaner, all-white meat.[7] [6]  Andrew J. McKenna, Sr., a

prominent Chicago businessman and a McDonald's director, is elected Nonexecutive Chairman,

and Charlie Bell of Sydney, Australia, is elected President and CEO of McDonald's Corporation. A

month later Bell is diagnosed with colorectal cancer during a physical exam required for his new post

and dies in January of the next year. Like retired chairman and former CEO Fred L. Turner, Bell

began his McDonald's career as a crew member. He was promoted frequently, serving as the

corporation's Chief Operating Officer and as President of both McDonald's Europe and of the

Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa Group.[7]

2005: Jim Skinner is elected President and CEO. Skinner began his McDonald's career as a trainee

restaurant manager at a McDonald's in Carpentersville, Illinois in 1971 after serving nearly ten years

with the US Navy.[8][9]

2005: McDonald's experiments with call centers for drive-through orders. The center, located

in Fargo, North Dakota, takes orders from more than a dozen stores in Oregon and Washington. The

experiment is in part motivated by labor costs, since the minimum wage in North Dakota is over 40%

lower than that in Oregon or Washington.

2005: Owing in part to competitive pressure, McDonald's Australia adopts "Made for you" cooking

platform in which the food is prepared from pre-cooked meat after the customer orders (as opposed

to the firm's normal procedure since 1948, in which the food is cooked then sold as needed). It should

become standard practice in all Australian restaurants by 2007. Some restaurants in New Zealand

also follow suit. The practice had earlier been tested, and abandoned, in the U.S.

2005: McDonald's in Singapore began their McDelivery service: customers place their food orders

over the phone, and it is delivered to wherever they are. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7

days a week.

2005: McDonald's opens a Wi-Fi service in selected restaurants with Nintendo for Nintendo DS.

2005: A fired employee, who was terminated for hitting a female customer, murders his former

manager at a McDonald's outlet in West Sussex, England. Shane Freer stabbed Jackie Marshall (57)

to death during a children's party at the fast food restaurant she was supervising. Freer was convicted

and sentenced to life in prison by Lewes Crown Court.[8]

2005: Ronald McDonald gets a leaner, sportier look.

2006: McDonald's announces that it will include nutritional information on the packaging for all

products beginning in March [9] and that its upcoming menu changes will emphasize chicken, salads,

and other "fresh foods" rather than hamburgers [10].

2006: McDonald's and Disney end their 10 year promotional partnership. Split allegedly mutual

although the generally accepted reasons were that McDonald's no longer sees benefit from sticking

with one studio; due to the increased competition from other studios, as well as having to promote

flop films, and Disney no longer wants to be associated with a company so strongly tied tochildhood

obesity.

2006: McDonald's begins their "forever young" branding by redesigning their restaurants.

2006: Anna Svidersky is murdered by David Sullivan while working in an Anderson Road McDonald's

in Vancouver, Washington.

2007: McDonald's reintroduces its 42-ounce super-size soda under the name Hugo.

2008: Mcdonald's introduces the McSkillet burrito. This larger breakfast consists of scramble eggs,

red & green bell peppers, onions, potatoes, salsa and sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla.

2008: McDonald's introduces the Chicken Biscuit and the Southern Style Chicken Sandwich.

2008: In November, McDonald's starts phasing in new designs for their containers. They also

introduced a new menu board design that featured warmer, darker colors, more realistic photos with

the food on plates and drinks in glasses. The design should hit nation wide in 2009.

2009: McDonald's introduces three versions of Angus Burgers: Angus Deluxe, Angus Bacon &

Cheese, and Angus Mushroom & Swiss.

2009: First McDonald's opens in Cusco, Peru. Since 1996 a total of 21 McDonald´s , 8 McCafé and

36 soft drink/ice cream stands are opened in Lima and across Peru. 20 more McDonald`s are

scheduled to be opened in the next two fiscal years.

2009: McDonald's in Papakura, New Zealand opens its first car wash in the country, called a

"UWASH".

2010: McDonald's introduces Real Fruit smoothies and the Angus Snack Wrap.