In 1992 when Rutgers professor Benjamin Barber coined the term "McWorld," there were 12,700 McDonald'sworldwide.
Today there are over 33,000.
The relentless spread of McDonald's over the past 61 years is an incredible business success story. In some markets the burger chain is just getting started, with plans to open 200 stores in China this year.
McDonald's serves 1% of the world's population every day
Image: Ben Hider/Getty Images
Source: Société Générale
McDonald's sells more than 75 hamburgers every second
The Hamburglar
Source: McDonald's Operations and Training Manual via Side Dish
McDonald's' $24 billion in revenue makes it the 90th-largest economy in the world
Image: Vacacion on flickr
Source: Yahoo Finance
Counting $32 billion in revenue from franchise stores, McDonald's claims the 68th biggest economy, bigger than Ecuador
Image: wfbakker2 on flickr
Source: 2009 Annual Report
McDonald's hires around 1 million workers in the US every year
Image: McDonald's
This estimate from Fast Food Nation assumes a 700,000 domestic workforce with 150% turnover rate.
According to company estimates, one in every eight American workers has been employed by McDonald's
Image: Associated Press
Source: McDonald's own estimate in 1996 via Fast Food Nation
McDonald's' iconic golden arches are recognized by more people than the cross
McDonald's product placement inside FarmVille
Image: Viralblog
A survey by Sponsorship Research International found that 88 percent could identify the arches and only 54 percent could name the Christian cross, according to Fast Food Nation.
The Queen of England owns a McDonald's nearBuckingham Palace as part of her vast real estate portfolio
A McDonald's restaurant owned by the Queen, seriously
Image: Google Maps
Source: DailyMail
For the next three years, McDonald's is going to open one restaurant every day in China
Source: Reuters via Paul Kedrosky
McDonald's delivers -- in 18 countries!
Source: Japan Times
Americans alone consume one billion pounds of beef at McDonald's in a year -- five and a half million head of cattle
Source: John Hayes, McDonald's senior director of U.S. food and packaging, via Side Dish
Sorry to gross you out but... McDonald's chicken nuggets used to be made of this pink goop*
Image: Gizmodo
UPDATE: According to Snopes, McDonald's stopped using mechanical separation for McNuggets in 2003.
