* In 1979 the Happy Meal was born. The box had a circus theme and came with fries, cookies, a soft drink and a toy. The toys were “McDoodler” stencils, “McWrist” wallets, small bracelets, puzzles, erasers or spinning tops. In December of 1979, McDonald’s partnered with Star Trek: The Motion Picture to offer themed Happy Meals and toys from the movie. It was the first time the fast food chain helped promote a TV show, video game, or movie and they haven’t gone back since.