<Li> 1963: One of Kroc's marketing insights is his decision to advertise McDonald's hamburgers to families and children . Washington, D.C. franchisees John Gibson and Oscar Goldstein (Gee Gee Distributing Corporation) sponsor a children's show on WRC - TV called Bozo the Clown, a franchised character played by Willard Scott from 1959 until 1962 . After the show was cancelled, Goldstein hires Scott to portray McDonald's new mascot, named Ronald McDonald . According to Scott, they wanted to pay him in stock, but Scott decided to take the money . Scott, looking nothing like the familiar appearance of any McDonaldland character as is known today, appeared in the first three television advertisements featuring the character . After changing the character's first name to "Ronald" and replacing Scott with a new actor, and giving him the more familiar red, white, and yellow clown features, the character eventually spreads to the rest of the country via an advertising campaign . Years later, an entire cast of "McDonaldland" characters is developed . </Li> <Li> 1963: The Filet - O - Fish is introduced in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a restaurant located in a neighborhood dominated by Roman Catholics who practiced abstinence (the avoidance of meat) on Fridays . It is the first new addition to the original menu, and goes national the following year, with fish supplied by Gorton's of Gloucester . See also Lou Groen </Li> <Li> 1963: McDonald's sells its one billionth hamburger . </Li> <Li> 1963: First Washington state location opens in Tacoma </Li>

When did mcdonald's start using white meat