McDonald's Corporation is one of the world's largest and most recognizable fast-food chains. Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard Mcdonald and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California, the company started as a drive-in restaurant. In 1955, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer milkshake machine salesman, joined the company as a franchise agent and later bought the chain from the McDonald brothers. Today, McDonald's is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.