How The McDonald's Big Mac Came To Be

There is perhaps nothing that Americans love more than a burger, and McDonald's restaurants have been one of the main destinations for satisfying this craving since 1940. Of the chain's many sandwich offerings though, there may be none more famous than its signature super-stack, the Big Mac. Although McDonald's hasn't issued confirmed statistics, speculation is that around two-and-a-half million Big Macs are served every single day. But no story starts with numbers like that — so how did this simple sandwich offering become a bona fide burger icon?

It all started back in 1967, in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania franchise location owned by Jim Delligatti. Competing burger chains in the area realized there was a market for a larger burger option, with a hungrier, more grown-up customer in mind. In order to compete, Delligatti concocted a more substantial sandwich that doubled up on beef, added a third bun in between, and topped it all with the classic cheese, lettuce, onions, and special sauce.

It didn't take long for the chain to recognize that this product could be successful in all of its restaurants, and in 1968 Delligatti's grown-up burger went big time, with a national rollout. At that time, McDonald's needed a name for the burger, and after entertaining some serious duds, they landed on a moniker supplied by their advertising secretary. It was 21-year-old Esther Glickstein Rose who came up with the name Big Mac, and it stuck.

In those days, a Big Mac would set you back a cool 45 cents (which makes sense, given that in the 1950s you could buy the entire McDonald's menu for under $2). Today, it'll cost you an average of $5.29 (although there's a hack for a cheaper version), and you can find variations including a chicken Big Mac.

You can also commemorate your love of this product with the rest of the world every August 2, which is designated as the official International Big Mac Day. This is the anniversary of its creation all those years ago in Pittsburgh, and the global celebration is appropriate, given that Delligatti's burger is now sold in more than 100 countries. Whether you're a longtime fan or you're brand new to this burger, ordering a Big Mac makes you a part of an American legacy.