<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Desperate to boost flagging sales during Lent, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mcdonalds-newtown-sydney-application/1a35e061-856f-4303-a9df-87dcddcf4e4f" rel="" target="" title="McDonald's"><span>McDonald's</span></a><span> franchisee Lou Groen introduced a new burger on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-13-what-happened-on-this-day/1f836b42-d953-45fe-b494-f927ba20ce21" rel="" target="" title="February 13, 1962"><span>February 13, 1962</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His outlet in Cincinnati was in a heavily Catholic area, and the devout locals would not eat meat on Fridays.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His idea was a fish burger, which was named the Filet-o-Fish.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-12-what-happened-on-this-day-ron-goldman-oj-simpson/24f32b12-326c-4dfb-a355-11d67894a984"><strong><span>Piece of paper could have saved OJ Simpson tens of millions of dollars</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sales at his outlet skyrocketed, and he pushed for the burger to go national.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/mcdonalds" rel="" target="" title="McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc"><span>McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc</span></a><span> didn't want the smell of fish permeating his restaurants.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His idea for a meatless burger was one with a breaded pineapple slice.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-13-what-happened-on-this-day-filet-o-fish/a40abc56-7f1a-479c-8d06-fee5246b57f2" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he changed his mind after seeing how well the Filet-o-Fish was selling in Cincinnati.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His so-called Hula Burger, by comparison, was a flop.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/today-in-history-february-8-what-happened-on-this-day/8f3f20f8-a98a-4100-9617-b4b8c1bde5c3"><strong><span>Crowd gasps as Julie Andrews takes revenge in acceptance speech</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The burger, made with a patty of pollock, half a slice of cheese and tartar sauce, remains on the menu today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Only half a slice of cheese is used to avoid overwhelming the flavour of the fish.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In France, Spain and Belgium, the burger is called a McFish and has tomato sauce instead of tartar sauce.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Groen's restaurant is no longer in that location.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite its perception as a corporate juggernaut, many other McDonald's products were developed in individual restaurants.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-5-what-happened-on-this-day/fd3ab70d-3622-47b7-bd02-b11bdf46e5f5"><strong><span>Comedy taken off air mid-episode after just ten minutes</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Big Mac was invented in a suburban Pittsburgh outlet in 1967 and was such a hit it was expanded nationwide the following year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Quarter Pounder was introduced at a California franchise in 1971.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Happy Meal, meanwhile, debuted at the first McDonald's in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/guatemala" rel="" target="" title="Guatemala"><span>Guatemala</span></a><span> in 1974.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-16-what-happened-on-this-day/d418398b-02f8-4877-8c25-c401da6b63ef" target="" title=""><strong><span>Hollywood's biggest star settled lawsuit over wife's death for $10</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span></span></em><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><p><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=9news.com.au"><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine"><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></p></li></ul></div></div>