The Big Mac is more than just a burger — it's an icon.

When people hear the name McDonald’s, it’s fair to say that many of them immediately think of the Big Mac. While it might be the restaurant’s most famous item, a lot of people don’t know its history.

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In 2018, McDonald’s celebrated the Big Mac’s 50th anniversary. To mark the event, the company shared some interesting tidbits about the sandwich on its website. As it turns out, the Big Mac has a history as rich as the burger is thick.

For those who don’t know the jingle, the McDonald's Big Mac contains two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun.

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According to McDonald’s, the burger’s story begins in 1967 when Jim Delligatti, a franchisee from Pittsburgh, believed McDonald's should have a larger burger "geared towards adults." Seeking to fill that void on the menu, he created a "double burger" he dubbed the Big Mac and debuted the sandwich in Uniontown, Pa. on April 22, 1967.

In 1968, the Big Mac would be added to McDonald’s menu nationwide, and even debuted in Canada that same year. Originally sold for 45 cents, the sandwich was advertised with a tagline claiming the Big Mac was "a meal disguised as a sandwich,” to emphasize the burger's then-larger-than-average size.

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Since then, the Big Mac has gone on to become one of McDonald’s most popular menu items. According to the fast-food chain, McDonald's had sold over 1.3 billion Big Macs in 2017. The company's website also claims that Irwindale, Calif., is known as the “Big Mac capital of America” because the residents there reportedly eat “337 Big Mac sandwiches per capita per year.”