Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's as a restaurant in San Bernardino, California. They later transformed it into a hamburger stand.

Richard and Maurice McDonald introduced the "Speedee Service System," expanding on principles of the modern fast-food restaurant.

The Golden Arches logo was introduced at a McDonald's location in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ray Kroc joined McDonald's as a franchise agent.

Ray Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million.

McDonald's first filed for a U.S. trademark on the name "McDonald's" with the description "Drive-In Restaurant Services."

McDonald's filed for a trademark on a new logo—an overlapping, double-arched "M" symbol.

The Golden Arches replaced Speedee as the universal mascot.

Clown mascot Ronald McDonald was introduced to market the chain to children.

The company was granted a U.S. trademark for the present version of the "Golden Arches" logo.

The San Bernardino restaurant was eventually torn down.

McDonald's moved into the Oak Brook facility from an office within the Chicago Loop.

The first Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, Pay and Drive, or "McDrive" was first introduced in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

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

The first such restaurant in Britain opened at Fallowfield, Manchester.

The first PlayPlace with the familiar crawl-tube design with ball pits and slides was introduced in the US.

Basketball player Michael Jordan became the first celebrity to have a McDonald's value meal named after him, called the "McJordan."

McDonald's became the full-time sponsor for the No. 27 Junior Johnson & Associates Ford, driven by Hut Stricklin.

McDonald's began banning smoking in its wholly owned restaurants.

McDonald's attempted Hearth Express, a prototype specializing in homestyle takeout meals, but closed in only one year.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received a $1 million winning McDonald's Monopoly game piece.

McDonald's New Zealand partially relaunched the Georgie Pie fast food chain it bought out.

McDonald's first tested "E-Clerks" in suburban Chicago, Illinois, and Wyoming, Michigan.

McDonald's owned a small share of Aroma Café.

McDonald's introduced its "Forever Young" brand by redesigning all of its restaurants, the first significant redesign since the 1970s.

McDonald's fully divested from Chipotle through a stock exchange.

McDonald's sold Boston Market to Sun Capital Partners.

McDonald's Malaysian operations lost a lawsuit to prevent another restaurant from calling itself McCurry.

McDonald's recalled 12 million of its promotional Shrek-themed drinking glasses due to traces of cadmium in the paint of the glass.

McDonald's began its longest partnership with a team at Chip Ganassi Racing, sponsoring the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Jamie McMurray.

McDonald's pledged to phase out pork from facilities that use gestation crates.

McDonald's monthly sales fell for the first time in nine years.

McDonald's stated it would open vegetarian-only restaurants in India.

McDonald's shut down the McResource website amidst negative publicity and criticism.

McDonald's quarterly sales fell for the first time in seventeen years.

McDonald's suspended operations in its corporate-owned stores in Crimea after Russia annexed the region.

McDonald's Australia declared they would strive to eliminate caged eggs by 2017.

McDonald's closed down 184 restaurants in the United States, which was 59 more than what they planned to open.

McDonald's pledged to stop using eggs from battery cage facilities by 2025 for all American restaurants.

McDonald's began offering in the United States a partial breakfast menu during all hours its restaurants were open.

McDonald's tried a more flexible burger service and restaurant concept based on other restaurants such as Shake Shack and Grill'd.

Steve Easterbrook became CEO of McDonald's, succeeding Don Thompson.

McDonald's Next uses open-concept design and offers "Create Your Taste" digital ordering. The first store opened in Hong Kong.

McDonald's "Create Your Taste" electronic kiosks were seen in some restaurants internationally where customers could custom order meals.

McDonald's confirmed plans to move its global headquarters to Chicago's West Loop neighborhood in the Near West Side.

Create Your Taste was replaced by a "Signature Crafted Recipes" program designed to be more efficient and less expensive.

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

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

80% of the franchise rights in mainland China and Hong Kong were sold for US$2.08 billion to a consortium of CITIC Limited, Private equity funds managed by CITIC Capital and Carlyle.

McDonald's Australia announced they had succeeded in meeting their goal to eliminate caged eggs.

McDonald's moved to nearby Chicago.

McDonald's USA announced that they no longer use artificial preservatives, flavors and colors entirely from seven classic burgers sold in the U.S.

McDonald's purchased an AI-based start-up, Apprente, to replace human servers with voice-based technology in its US drive-throughs.

McDonald's board of directors voted to remove Easterbrook as CEO since he had violated corporate policies on personal conduct by entering into a relationship with a company employee.

All-day breakfast was phased out from menus at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

McDonald's announced McPlant, a plant-based burger, along with plans to develop additional meat alternative menu items that extend to chicken substitutes and breakfast sandwiches.

James' deal with Coca-Cola and Sprite ended, with a new partnership with Pepsi and Mountain Dew launching.

Animal Rising blockaded four UK distribution centers using bamboo towers, leading to food shortages at restaurants.

McDonald's cut value meals and cheaper items from its menu as part of a focus on higher-priced items.

McDonald's partnered with Korean boy group BTS to release the "BTS Meal" in 50 countries around the world.

McDonald's will reopen its stores in Ukraine after closing them in February in non-contested areas like Kyiv and Western Ukraine.

McDonald's temporarily closed their 850 locations in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.

McDonald's announced that the closures would become permanent and that it was selling all its 850 stores in Russia.

A Russian McDonald's buyer announced a new logo as an attempt at rebranding.

McDonald's announced significant changes to its board.

McDonald's suspended operations in Kazakhstan due to the impossibility of supplying minced meat from Russia.

McDonald's in Belarus announced that all 25 stores in 6 cities would rebrand and operate as Vkusno i tochka.

McDonald's opened its first largely automated restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas.

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.

The EUIPO Board of Appeal partially annulled their decision after McDonald's filed 700 pages of additional evidence despite objections.

The company announced it was working towards a new fast-food brand called CosMc's that would be tested at ten sites.

Select McDonald's in the UK were testing vegan ice cream called Choco Scoop and Strawberry Scoop and receiving positive reviews.

The court 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. McDonald's retains the Big Mac trademark solely for its beef burgers.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged the public outcry, stating, "Several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are experiencing a meaningful business impact due to the war and associated misinformation that is affecting brands like McDonald's."

McDonald's met their goal nearly two years ahead of schedule, announcing the successful elimination of caged eggs.

McDonald's has introduced millet-based buns in partnership with the Central Food Technological Research Institute in India.

An E. coli outbreak occurred associated with contaminated Quarter Pounder burgers from McDonald's.

WNBA player Angel Reese became the first woman to partner with McDonald's, creating the Angel Reese Special.

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