For millions, there is a lot of nostalgia behind the McDonald's Happy Meal. The story of this boxed treat begins back in the 1970s with a question of marketing. Specifically, marketing to children.

Did you grow up in the '90s? If so, you remember the countless fads, from Pogs to Polly Pockets. This era was all about collecting sets, and kids loved gathering to compare their stashes, trade with ...

Back in 1979, McDonald's ad exec Bob Bernstein had a lightbulb moment: Why not turn the packaging itself into the main attraction and toss in a toy? And with that, the first McDonald's U.S. Happy Meal ...