17 Things You Didn't Know About McDonald's

Doo doo doo doo doo, I'm lovin'... these facts.

1. McDonald's originally sold hot dogs, not hamburgers.

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In 1937, brothers Dick and Mac McDonald launched the Airdrome hot dog stand with a $5,000 loan. It wasn't until 1948 that they revamped their business and turned it into a burgers and milkshakes joint.

(In the 1990s, the restaurant tested hot dogs at several Midwestern U.S. locations. They've also been spotted in Japanese locations — see photo above.)

2. The company's golden arches are recognized by more people than the Christian cross.

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A survey by Sponsorship Research International of 7,000 people in six countries found that 88 percent could identify McDonald's famous arches, while only 54 percent could name the Christian cross.

3. 1 in 8 Americans has been employed by a McDonald's.

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(source)

4. 87,000 people recently petitioned McDonald's to add a veggie burger to their menu.

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“Adding plant-based protein options at McDonald’s will appeal to workers out for a quick lunch, families with health-conscious members out to dinner, children on field trips, and anyone looking for something different than the current menu at McDonald’s where even the french fries contain beef flavoring,” reads the petition. The company currently sells veggie burgers in India, but not in the U.S.

5. McDonald's is the world's largest distributor of toys.

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The reason? About 20 percent of McDonald's sales involve Happy Meals.

6. The Egg McMuffin was modeled after eggs benedict.

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It originally came with prepackaged hollandaise. Read more here.

7. Those fries are more complicated than they seem.

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8. You can buy beer at McDonald's in Germany.

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9. Rachel McAdams, Jeff Bezos, Jay Leno, Seal, DL Hughley, and Shania Twain have all worked at Mickey D's.

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See more celebs here.

10. McDonald's in Colombia offers a pineapple Oreo McFlurry.

Flickr: aboutmcdonalds

11. McDonald's feeds 68 million people per day.

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That's about 1 percent of the world's population.

12. McDonald's is not the world's largest restaurant chain. Subway is.

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In 2010, Subway had 33,749 restaurants open worldwide at the end of 2010, compared with McDonald's 32,737.

13. In 1968, McDonald's airlifted hamburgers to homesick U.S. Olympic Athletes in Grenoble, France.

Getty / Hulton Archive

14. Things found in McDonald's meals include used Band-Aids, a needle, a dead rat, and a chicken head.

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Read more gross details here.

15. The Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken has more calories and fat than the BBQ Ranch Burger.

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Here's the McDonald's nutrition facts sheet if you want to ruin your day.

16. The company sells more than 75 hamburgers per second.

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All that beef comes from Keystone, McDonald's chief beef supplier.

17. McNuggets aren't really made of this pink goop (i.e. "mechanically separated chicken").

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According to Snopes, the nuggets have been made of all white meat since 2003.