• The first McDonald's franchise opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. • Chicken nuggets were introduced to the menu in 1983. • Motorhead and President Ronald Reagan were photographed eating at McDonald's in the 1980s.

By the 1980s, McDonald's had already become a well-established fast-food chain with an well-known menu and distinctive branding.

Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise location in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. That year, he also founded McDonald's System, Inc., which would become the McDonald's Corporation we know today.

By 1958, McDonald's had sold 100 million burgers, and the restaurants had taken on a signature design style that prominently featured the chain's iconic "golden arches."

The 1980s were a major period of growth for Mc

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