McDonald's Happy Meal marks 25 years

The McDonald's Happy Meal, the most successful children's menu item in restaurant history, celebrates its silver anniversary this year.

The box of delights, which traditionally comes with a burger (or chicken nuggets), fries and a small drink, has Midwestern roots. Several McDonald's stores had tried with varying degrees of success to come up with an inviting children's meal for the chain, but none of the concepts was taken to a national level.

In 1977, however, Dick Brams, the St. Louis regional advertising manager for McDonald's, challenged his ad agencies in St. Louis and Kansas City to create a national children's meal concept. A Kansas City firm presented him with a promotion that would become the modern Happy Meal.

Since the promotion began in June 1979, billions of Happy Meals have been sold worldwide.