From drive-thru restaurants to Chicken McNuggets to college credits from Hamburger U, weve had quite a journey. And were still going. But to take a look into our past, we need to share the story of one man.

In 1917, 15-year-old Ray Kroc lied about his age to join the Red Cross as an ambulance driver, but the war ended before he completed his training. He then worked as a piano player, a paper cup salesman and a Multimixer salesman.

In 1954, he visited a restaurant in San Bernardino, California that had purchased several Multimixers. There he found a small but successful restaurant run by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald and was stunned by the effectiveness of their operation. They produced a limited menu, concentrating on just a few items burgers, fries and beverages which allowed them to focus on quality and quick service.

They were looking for a new franchising agent and Kroc saw an opportunity. In 1955, he founded McDonalds System, Inc., a predecessor of the McDonalds Corporation, and six years later bought the exclusive rights to the McDonalds name and operating system. By 1958, McDonalds had sold its 100 millionth hamburger.