History of McDonald's in Timeline

McDonald's is an American multinational fast food restaurant chain. As of 2024, it is the second-largest in the world by number of locations.

1971: Move to Oak Brook

In 1971, McDonald's relocated from an office within the Chicago Loop to the McDonald's Plaza complex in Oak Brook, Illinois.

1975: McDonald's opens in Hong Kong

In 1975, when McDonald's opened in Hong Kong, it was the first restaurant to consistently offer clean restrooms, setting a new standard and driving customers to demand the same from other establishments.

1977: McDonald's enters NASCAR Cup Series

In 1977, McDonald's entered the NASCAR Cup Series, sponsoring Richard Childress for one race.

1986: McDonald's continues part-time sponsorship in NASCAR

Between 1977 and 1986, McDonald's only sponsored a handful of races in a season in the NASCAR Cup Series.

1990: McLibel case

In 1990, activists from London Greenpeace distributed leaflets criticizing McDonald's environmental, health, and labor record, leading to the "McLibel case" after the corporation sued them for libel.

1990: McDonald's in Russia

McDonald's has operated in Russia since 1990.

1992: McJordan Meal

In 1992, basketball player Michael Jordan became the first celebrity to have a McDonald's value meal named after him. The meal was called the "McJordan" and was available at Chicago franchises.

1993: Full-time sponsorship for Junior Johnson & Associates Ford

In 1993, McDonald's became the full-time sponsor for the No. 27 Junior Johnson & Associates Ford, driven by Hut Stricklin in the NASCAR Cup Series.

1994: McDonald's sponsorship with Jimmy Spencer

In 1994, Hut Stricklin was replaced by Jimmy Spencer in the No. 27 Junior Johnson & Associates Ford, who went on to win twice that season, sponsored by McDonald's in the NASCAR Cup Series.

1994: Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants court case

In 1994, the court case Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants examined a McDonald's practice of serving coffee so hot that when spilled, it caused third degree burns requiring weeks of hospitalization and skin grafting surgery.

1995: $1 million winning Monopoly game piece donated to St. Jude

In 1995, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received an anonymous letter containing a $1 million winning McDonald's Monopoly game piece.

1999: E-Clerks tested

In 1999, McDonald's tested "E-Clerks" (electronic kiosks) in suburban Chicago, Illinois, and Wyoming, Michigan, with the goal of saving money on staff and increasing purchase amounts.

2001: Fast Food Nation criticism

In 2001, Eric Schlosser's book 'Fast Food Nation' criticized aspects of McDonald's business practices, particularly around its political lobbying and targeting advertisements to children.

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

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2001: McDonald's moves to PPI Motorsports Ford

In the 2001 season, McDonald's moved its NASCAR Cup Series sponsorship to the No. 96 PPI Motorsports Ford, driven by rookie Andy Houston.

2003: LeBron James becomes a spokesman for McDonald's

In 2003, LeBron James became a spokesman for McDonald's while co-endorsing Coca-Cola-Sprite since early in his career.

2004: Part-time sponsor for Evernham Motorsports

In 2004, McDonald's joined Evernham Motorsports as a part-time sponsor for drivers Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, A. J. Allmendinger, and Reed Sorenson in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2004: Super Size Me documentary

Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary film 'Super Size Me' claimed that McDonald's food was contributing to the increase of obesity in society, leading the company to eliminate the super size option and create the adult Happy Meal six weeks after the film's premiere.

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2007: Public assistance for workers

From 2007 to 2011, fast food workers in the U.S. drew an average of $7 billion of public assistance annually resulting from receiving low wages.

May 2008: Switch to trans fat-free oil

In May 2008, McDonald's announced that, in the United States and Canada, it had switched to using cooking oil that contains no trans fats for its french fries.

September 8, 2009: McDonald's loses lawsuit to prevent McCurry restaurant name

On September 8, 2009, McDonald's Malaysian operations lost a lawsuit to prevent another restaurant from calling itself McCurry after losing in an appeal to Malaysia's highest court, the Federal Court.

2009: McHappy Day raises $20.4 million

According to the Australian McHappy Day website, McHappy Day raised $20.4 million in 2009.

2010: Partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing

During the 2010 season, McDonald's entered its longest partnership with a team at Chip Ganassi Racing, sponsoring the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2010: Increase in rental payments

In 2010, McDonald's saw a rise in rental payments from franchisees. These payments increased by 26 percent between 2010 and 2015, eventually accounting for one-fifth of the company's total revenue.

2010: End of McDonald's sponsorship with Evernham Motorsports

McDonald's sponsorship with Evernham Motorsports came to an end in 2010 in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2010: McHappy Day goal

The goal for McHappy Day in 2010 was $20.8 million.

2011: Public assistance for workers

From 2007 to 2011, fast food workers in the U.S. drew an average of $7 billion of public assistance annually resulting from receiving low wages.

2012: Vegetarian-only restaurant in India

In 2012, McDonald's opened its first vegetarian-only restaurant in Amritsar, India.

December 2013: McResource website shut down

In December 2013, McDonald's shut down the McResource website amidst negative publicity and criticism.

2013: Zero-hour contracts in the UK

As of 2013, 90% of McDonald's UK workforce were on zero-hour contracts, making it potentially the largest such private sector employer in the country.

2013: Automation probability estimated

In 2013, the University of Oxford estimated a 92% probability of food preparation and serving becoming automated in fast food establishments in the succeeding decades.

August 2014: 438 stores across Russia

In August 2014, McDonald's had 438 stores across the Russia.

August 20, 2014: Temporary closure of Moscow outlets

On August 20, 2014, four McDonald's outlets in Moscow were temporarily shut down by the Russian government, citing sanitary concerns, amidst rising tensions between the United States and Russia over the annexation of Crimea.

August 23, 2014: No government ban

On August 23, 2014, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich dismissed any government move to ban McDonald's in Russia, stating the temporary closures were unrelated to sanctions.

October 2014: Our Food. Your Questions.

In October 2014, McDonald's USA launched the “Our Food. Your Questions.” transparency campaign, inviting customers to submit questions online, and published behind-the-scenes videos and other content about its ingredients, sourcing, and food preparation.

2014: Pledge to stop using battery cage eggs in Australia

In 2014, McDonald's pledged to stop using eggs from battery cage facilities in restaurants in Australia by 2017, responding to consumer concerns about hen living conditions.

March 2015: Health and safety complaints filed

In March 2015, McDonald's workers in 19 U.S. cities filed 28 health and safety complaints with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, alleging injuries due to low staffing, lack of protective gear, poor training, and pressure to work fast.

July 2015: Big Mac Index

As of July 2015, according to The Economist newspaper's "Big Mac Index", Switzerland had the most expensive Big Mac in the world, while India had the least expensive (for a Maharaja Mac).

November 10, 2015: Investor conference announcement

On November 10, 2015, McDonald's announced at its investor conference that it would not spin off its U.S. holdings into a potential real estate investment trust (REIT). CEO Steve Easterbrook cited the risk to the company's business model as the reason for not pursuing the REIT option.

2015: Hamburger University locations

As of 2015, McDonald's trains its franchisees and management at Hamburger Universities located in Oak Brook, Tokyo, London, Sydney, Munich, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Moscow.

2015: Steve Easterbrook becomes CEO

In 2015, Steve Easterbrook succeeded Don Thompson as the CEO and president of McDonald's.

June 13, 2016: Headquarters relocation plan

On June 13, 2016, McDonald's confirmed its plans to move its global headquarters to Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, situated in the Near West Side.

December 29, 2016: Halal cakes statement issued in Malaysia

On December 29, 2016, McDonald's Malaysia issued a statement that said only certified halal cakes are allowed inside its restaurants nationwide.

2016: "Create Your Taste" kiosks seen

By 2016, McDonald's "Create Your Taste" electronic kiosks were seen in some restaurants internationally, allowing customers to customize their orders.

January 9, 2017: Franchise Rights Sold in China and Hong Kong

On January 9, 2017, 80% of the franchise rights in mainland China and Hong Kong were sold for US$2.08 billion to a consortium of CITIC Limited, CITIC Capital, and Carlyle.

April 2017: Supermac's requests cancellation of McDonald's trademarks

In April 2017, Irish fast-food chain Supermac's submitted a request to the European Union Property Office to cancel McDonald's owned trademarks within the European Union, claiming that McDonald's engaged in "trademark bullying".

April 2017: Fixed contracts offered

In April 2017, after workers engaged in labor strike, all employees were given the option of fixed contracts.

September 2017: Strike over zero-hours contracts

In September 2017, two British McDonald's stores agreed to a strike over zero-hours contracts for staff.

2017: Target date to stop using battery cage eggs in Australia

In 2014, McDonald's pledged to stop using eggs from battery cage facilities in restaurants in Australia by 2017, responding to consumer concerns about hen living conditions. 2017 was the original target date to end the practice.

2017: McDonald's app launched

In 2017, McDonald's launched an app in the United States that allows customers to skip the ordering line inside or drive through and order online.

2017: End of LeBron James's spokesman role with McDonald's

LeBron James was a spokesman for McDonald's from 2003 until 2017, while co-endorsing Coca-Cola-Sprite since early in his career.

June 4, 2018: New headquarters opening

On June 4, 2018, McDonald's opened its new 608,000-square-foot global headquarters in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood on the former site of Harpo Productions.

2018: Canola-based oil for baked items

By the end of 2018, McDonald's had switched to canola-based oil with corn and soy oils for its baked items, pies, and cookies, in the United States and Canada.

2018: McDonald's stops using battery cage eggs in Australia

In 2018, McDonald's met its 2014 pledge to stop using eggs from battery cage facilities in restaurants in Australia, responding to consumer concerns about hen living conditions.

September 2019: Acquisition of Apprente

In September 2019, McDonald's purchased Apprente, an AI-based start-up, with the intention of replacing human servers with voice-based technology in its US drive-throughs.

2019: Easterbrook removed as CEO

In 2019, McDonald's board of directors voted to remove Steve Easterbrook as CEO for violating corporate policies on personal conduct. Chris Kempczinski, formerly president of McDonald's USA, replaced him.

2019: McDonald's sponsors Bubba Wallace for one race

In 2019, McDonald's had a one-race partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 Chevrolet driven by Bubba Wallace and also in 2019 sponsored the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2019: Employee sues McDonald's over sexual harassment

In 2019, a McDonald's employee, Jenna Ries, sued the restaurant chain over allowing sexual harassment in the workplace and described the working environment as "toxic".

2019: Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union reports harassment cases

In 2019, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union reported over 1,000 cases of harassment involving female employees at McDonald's.

September 2020: Travis Scott Meal

In September 2020, McDonald's partnered with rapper Travis Scott to release the "Travis Scott Meal" nationwide. Scott designed new uniforms for McDonald's employees and released Cactus Jack merchandise using vintage visuals from the fast food chain's history.

2020: McDonald's sponsors Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace

In 2020, McDonald's sponsored CGR's No. 42 of Kyle Larson, and also had a one-race partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 Chevrolet driven by Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2021: Animal Rising blockades UK distribution centers

In 2021, Animal Rising blockaded four UK distribution centers using bamboo towers, leading to food shortages at restaurants, citing "suffering of animals" in the McDonald's supply chain as a motivating factor.

2021: McDonald's sponsors Ross Chastain and joins 23XI Racing

In 2021, McDonald's continued working with the No. 42 under new driver Ross Chastain and also joined Wallace's new team 23XI Racing as a "founding partner" in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2021: BTS Meal

In 2021, McDonald's partnered with Korean boy group BTS to release the "BTS Meal" in 50 countries around the world, starting on May 26 in select countries.

2021: Harassment charges lead to anti-harassment training

In 2021, at least 50 employees had filed charges against the chains regarding harassment in the workplace in five years, leading to the company instituting anti-harassment training.

March 2022: McDonald's closes in Russia

In March 2022, McDonald's closed and sold their 850 locations in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine. The restaurants were sold under the condition that they would not use the McDonald's branding.

July 2022: Agreement reached with French judicial authorities

In July 2022, the McDonald's group reached an agreement with the French judicial authorities to end criminal proceedings for tax fraud.

August 2022: Board of Directors changes

In August 2022, McDonald's announced that Sheila Penrose would retire, and Anthony Capuano, Jennifer Taubert, and Amy Weaver would join the board of directors.

2022: Donations to Ronald McDonald House Charities

In 2022, over $182 million were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities from McDonald's, its franchisees, and its customers.

2022: Restaurant in Murmansk, Russia closed

In 2022, the northernmost McDonald's restaurant in the world in Murmansk, Russia was closed.

July 2023: BBC investigation highlights harassment and discrimination

In July 2023, a BBC investigation into McDonald's UK highlighted issues such as racism, homophobia, ableism, and harassment based on testimonies.

2023: Child labor violations found at McDonald's franchises

In 2023, an investigation by the United States Department of Labor found child labor violations at McDonald's franchises in the state of Kentucky, which involved over 300 children, two of them 10-year-olds.

2023: BBC investigation reports toxic work culture

In 2023, the BBC conducted an investigation, and reported that more than 100 current and recent UK workers at outlets of the fast-food chain allege there is a continuing toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying.

2023: EUIPO Board of Appeal partially annuls decision

In 2023, the EUIPO Board of Appeal partially annulled their decision regarding Supermac's request to cancel McDonald's trademarks, after McDonald's filed additional evidence.

2023: Automated restaurant opens

In early 2023, McDonald's opened its first largely automated restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas. The restaurant would de-emphasize human contact when ordering, with employees available if there were problems.

January 2024: New northernmost McDonald's Restaurant

In January 2024, McDonald's opened a new restaurant in Tromsø, Norway, becoming the northernmost McDonald's restaurant in the world.

December 2024: Board of Directors

As of December 2024, the list of the board of directors was published.

2024: Value of $2.86 million award in Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants case in 2024 dollars

In 1994, the court case Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants examined a McDonald's practice of serving coffee so hot that when spilled, it caused third degree burns. The trial outcome was an award of $2.86 million (equivalent to $5.47 million in 2024) for the plaintiff.

2024: Unsuccessful trademark proceedings against Supermac's in the EU

In 2024, McDonald's had been unsuccessful in similar trademark proceedings against Supermac's in the EU.

2024: European Court of Justice rules against McDonald's

In 2024, the European Court of Justice ruled that McDonald's had failed to prove the use of the Big Mac trademark in relation to chicken products or services associated with operating restaurants, meaning Supermac's and other businesses are now free to use the "Mac" in their business names and in names for poultry products in Europe.

January 2025: Angel Reese Special

In January 2025, WNBA player Angel Reese became the first woman to partner with McDonald's, creating the Angel Reese Special. Ordering the meal as a double Quarter Pounder was promoted in reference to Reese's consistent double-doubles during games.

January 2025: Lawsuits filed against McDonald's UK over harassment and discrimination

In January 2025, it was reported that over 700 young workers had filed lawsuits against McDonald's UK, alleging widespread harassment and discrimination.

March 2025: Equality and Human Rights Commission demand for compliance

In March 2025, the Equality and Human Rights Commission wrote to all 1,400 McDonald's branches telling them they must comply with their legal duties, or risk enforcement action.

June 2025: McDonald's attempts to block Supermac's expansion into the UK

In June 2025, it was reported that McDonald's was attempting to block the expansion of the Irish chain Supermac's into the UK market and intended to proceed with IPO trademark court proceedings in the UK, despite having been unsuccessful in similar proceedings against Supermac's in the EU in 2024.