Figure:Totally Toy Holiday Happy Meal | Sally Secrets Figurine

In 1977, a St. Louis regional director of the fast food restaurant chain McDonald's developed a meal specifically for kids. The "Happy Meal" included a burger, fries, cookies, a soft drink, and a premium prize, all housed conveniently in a box decorated with fun games and puzzles. At first, individual restaurant owners selected and provided their own premiums. Corporate HQ urged owners to offer toys that were safe for all ages and to offer a toy suitable for children younger than age 3. Eventually, McDonalds offered the same toys throughout the country. The premium toys arrived on the international market in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Caribbean and Latin America in 1980. Happy Meal toys often reflect characters and events related to the release of popular movies, like Disney's "The Lion King," or "Batman," or "E.T." Other toys related to the periodic reissue of Disney classics like "Bambi," "Cinderella," and "Sleeping Beauty." Still others related to Beanie Babies, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Raggedy Ann, Transformers, Crayola Crayons, Mr. Potato Head, and other popular toys and games. Events and holidays inspired other toys related to the Olympics, Christmas, and Halloween. A collection of Happy Meal toys, thus, presents a veritable catalogue of the characters, events, and entertainments that have dominated American popular culture in the past thirty years. To see the toys is to glimpse what America has been reading, watching, playing with, and celebrating since 1979.