May 15 in History: McDonald’s Opens, War Begin, and a Date That Changed Daily Life

May 15 in History: McDonald’s Opens, War Begin, and a Date That Changed Daily Life

On May 15, 1940, the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in San Bernardino, California, started by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald. At the time, it was a local business built around a simple idea: serve a small menu quickly, consistently, and at a price ordinary families could afford. That approach mattered because it helped shape a new model of food service that spread far beyond one city. It still matters today because the “fast, standard…