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HISTORY OF McDONALD'S

1937 The McDonald BROTHERS open a tiny drive -in restaurant in Pasadena and sell hot doggs.

1940 Dick and Mac McDonald open an actagonaal drive-in restaurant, 600 square meters in size in San Bernadino, California.

1948 Speedee, a small Hamburglar figure becomes the McDonald's Restaurant symbol. And the first drive-thru couters are launched.

1952 The journal '' American Restaurant magazine''is the first to write an article on the McDonald's concept.

1954 Ray. A Kroc becomes franchising agent for the McDonald brothers. This year turnover registers $235.000.

1957 The 40 McDonald's restaurants make a turnover of 3.8 million dollars.

1960 The McDonald's chain now numbers 228 restaurants, the 400 millionth HAMBURGER is sold and a turnover reached of 37.8 million dollars.

1961 Ray Kroc buys out the McDonald brothers for 2.7 million dollars. The first Hamburger University is opened.
Speedee gives way to the '' Golden Arches'' as logo.

Ray Kroc

1963 Ronald McDonald is the first McDonald character to be launched.

1966 The first McDonald's Restaurants with seating arrangements are opened {up to now, only drive-inns}

1967 The first restaurants are opened in Canada and Puerto-Rico.

1968 The BIG MAC and the APPLE PIE are now featured on the program.

1971 The characters Hamburglar, Grimace, Major McCheese, Captain Crook and the Professor are launched.
The first restaurants are opened in GERMANY, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA and the NETHERLANDS in ZAANDAM.

1974 The first Ronald McDonald House is opened in Philadelphia.

1977 The breakfeast menu is introduced, The first Austrian McDonald's Restaurant opens in Vienna. The idea of a Children's menu is born.
The proposals ''Fun to Go'' and ''Happy Meal'' are tested.

1979 The Happy Meal for children takes its place on the menu USA: The first one is called ''CIRCUS WAGON''.

1980 BIRDIE, the EARLY BIRD is integrated into the group of character. The 6.000th restaurant is opened in MUNICH.

1983 with their restaurants McDonald's are represented in 32 countries.

1984 Chicken McNuggets are launched in Germany, Dick McDonald eats the fifty billionth Hamburger.
Every 17 hours Mc Donald's opens anew restaurant.

1985 First EUROPEAN RONALD McDonald HOUSE is opened in AMSTERDAM.

1986 First HAPPY MEAL '' UFO MENU'' in The Netherlands 4 UFO's {Spaceship}

1987 First McDrive in the Netherlands Huis ter Heide.

1988 The 10.000th restaurant opens. The German version of the HAPPY MEAL THE JUNIOR TUTE.

1989 The McChicken Sandwich is taken up on the American menu.

1990 In Moscow the first McDonald's restaurant is opened, the World's largest. Inside there is seating for 700 people.

1994 at Frankfurt airport Germany's largest restaurant is opened.

1996 Netherlands McDonald's 25 year!

2001 McDonald's Netherlands 30 year!

Click here to go to the Character history page

Click here to go to the McDonald’s Collecting Language page