Hello friends and Fortune readers,
This week marks a big milestone for McDonald’s(MCD), the quintessential American company that seems like it’s been around forever. In fact, on Friday, the Golden Arches will celebrate its 75th anniversary since its founding by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a California BBQ business. But there’s much more going on in the next seven days, too, including a bunch of earnings and business conferences. Be sure to check out Fortune.com coverage daily for the latest in business news and for write-ups and analysis of the companies reporting this week.
Here’s what you need to know to start your week.
1. McDonald’s crawls to age 75
The fast food chain serves 25 million people daily, including over 36,000 locations in more than 100 countries. But it’s been struggling as of late, and new CEO Steve Easterbook is trying to revive the company as consumers look for healthier meals. It’s unclear what McDonald’s has planned to celebrate the three-quarters of a decade mark. A spokesperson for the company did not respond to a request for comment as of publication. For 75 facts about the company, check out this article from Reader’s Digest.
2. More conferences taking place this week
Be prepared for more technology conferences in the coming week, in what seems like a never-ending geek-fest. On Tuesday, both the second annual Internet of Things World event in San Francisco, and 500 Startups Demo Day, a private, invite-only event for accredited & active investors, kicks off. There’s also the Wired Business Conference in New York City. On Wednesday, look out for the Credit Suisse Disruptive Technology Conference in San Francisco followed by what’s simply called The Startup Conference in Redwood City, Calif. on Thursday.
3. Television upfronts preview the upcoming year in television
This week is a big one for the television industry with the “upfronts,” or meetings in which networks make their pitch to advertisers about how good their shows are. The event, which takes place in New York City, will include NBC on Monday, ESPN and ABC (ABC) on Tuesday and CBS (CBS) on Wednesday.
4. Some earnings trickling in, too
Although nowhere near as hectic a schedule as the last few weeks, earnings season continues this week. On Tuesday, Internet domain seller GoDaddy (GDDY) reports its earnings. On Wednesday, there’s luxury clothing brand Ralph Lauren (RL) in the morning and networking equipment provider Cisco (CSCO) in the afternoon. Then on Thursday, watch out for fast food chain El Pollo Loco (LOCO) which went public last year.
5. The Preakness horse race
American Pharoah, the winner of the Kentucky Derby last week, is a clear favorite to take the second event of the Triple Crown in horse racing on Saturday in Maryland. In fact, American Pharoah is a 2-3 favorite, along with Firing Line at 7-2 and Dortmund at 4-1 (as of Friday afternoon). If he can claim victory in the stacked field of equine talent at the 140th Preakness, he’ll have a shot at making history at the Belmont Stakes in June. Since 1919, there have been just 11 Triple Crown winners. Of course, the Preakness isn’t just a race. It’s a big business through television, corporate sponsorships, ticket sales and, yes, race track and casino betting.
For more about sports, watch this Fortune video:
[fortune-brightcove videoid=4156818146001]
