I don’t know if it’s the case in the States, but McDonald’s Canada is starting up their annual (I think?) Monopoly game tomorrow. My mom and I always used the Monopoly game as an excuse to get McDonald’s fries, ‘cause we all know they make the best fast food French fries in the world (apart from maybe Cougar Country).
Anyway, intrigue regarding the history of McDonald’s Monopoly led me to Wiki, which led me to reading about the company. Whether you consider the corporation evil or not, it really does have an interesting history and interesting facts surrounding it.

• The business began in 1940 and “McDonald’s” was up for trademark status in 1961.
• There are McDonald’s in 119 countries and territories, serving 58 million people daily and employing 1.5+ million people (I would think it would be more than that).
• Nearly 1 in 8 people in the United States have been employed by McDonald’s at some point.
• Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary added the word “McJob” in 2003. It was defined as “a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement.” Obviously, McDonald’s was rather ticked off about this definition.

Product-specific facts

• In countries/markets unfamiliar with Imperial measurements, the Quarter Pounder is known as the Royal Cheese or McRoyale (or a similar variant).
• Beer is sold at restaurants in France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovenia.
• The McChicken is the next big seller after the Big Mac.
• While some countries sell Egg McMuffins around the clock, the product is restricted to the breakfast menu. This is mainly due to the fact that the grill temperature for the burgers is significantly different than that for the eggs.

Interesting stuff, eh?

Bonus: isn’t this the most terrifying thing you’ve ever seen?