Saw in the paper today that Herb Peterson, the man who invented the Egg McMuffin, has died.
I am old enough to remember when the Egg McMuffin first came out. I was on a road trip through California in 1973 or ‘74 when I first saw signs for the breakfast sandwich. The Egg McMuffin hadn’t made it to Colorado, where I then lived. When I saw the sign, I remember thinking, “Wow. Breakfast is being served at McDonald’s. Who will want to go to breakfast at McDonald’s?”
Of course today I am one of millions who have wolfed down the Egg McMuffin for a quick breakfast. What interests me about Herb and his invention is how big a mark he left on the world. Whether you like McDonald’s or not, whether you think of it as corporate greed run amok, or whether you view it simply as a place to get a hamburger, you have to admit: this one man changed the fast food industry and introduced us all to breakfast on the go.
How many of us will die leaving behind something that changed the lives of millions of people? Not very many of us. And that’s why I think it’s worth noting his passing today.
