Jim Delligatti

Jim Delligatti (born August 2, 1918-died November 29, 2016) is credited by McDonald's for developing the Big Mac sandwich in 1967, as well as the Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich two years later, in 1970, both of which were originally sold in his Pittsburgh, PA area restuarants.

About Jim
Jim, a graduate of Michigan State University, is credited for "inventing" McDonald's Big Mac. He originally named it the "Big Mac Super Sandwich". Delligatti was one of McDonald's original franchisees from the mid-1950's who, at the time, operated several restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. His franchise was based in Uniontown, PA, where he was born and raised, about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh, and grew to having 48 stores.

The Big Mac was first served at Delligatti's Uniontown, Pennsylvania store in 1967. In 1968, McDonald's, with McDonald's Corp. CEO and founder Ray Kroc's blessing, began selling the now iconic Big Mac sandwich nationwide. Two years later, Delligati created another iconic McDonald's menu item, the Egg McMuffin, which he began selling in his stores in 1970 before Kroc gave the go-ahead by McDonald's to begin selling the breakfast sandwich, which paved the way for the creation of a regular breakfast menu in 1972, in all McDonald's stores.

Personal/Family life and death
Delligatti died on November 28, 2016, at his home in [[Fox Chapel section of Pittsburgh, PA, at age 98. He was survived by his wife, Ellie, two sons, five grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.