For America's 250th, McDonald's Is Frying Apple Pie

McDonald's is frying up some apple pies to honor America's 250th birthday. The company said Tuesday it's bringing back fried apple pies for the first time in more than three decades. They'll be available at most US restaurants for a limited time starting June 23, reports the AP. McDonald's is one of several fast food companies offering semiquincentennial treats. Burger King recently debuted its Firecracker Cookie Pie, which has a sugar cookie crust and red, white, and blue star-shaped sprinkles. Sonic is offering a red, white, and blue slush float for $2.50. And Hardee's has an iced Star-Spangled Biscuit with red and blue sprinkles. A look at McDonald's fried apple pies by the numbers:

• 1968: The year McDonald's introduced both its fried apple pie and the Big Mac. Litton Cochran, a McDonald's franchisee in Tennessee, developed the rectangle-shaped pie, which was served in a cardboard sleeve.
• 1992: The year McDonald's replaced the fried apple pie with a baked version in most of the US, responding to growing consumer awareness of fat and cholesterol consumption. The Department of Agriculture first published its food guide pyramid the same year. Fried apple pie remains on McDonald's menus in some other countries, including Mexico, Australia, and China.
• 230: Number of calories in McDonald's baked apple pie. That's 10 more calories than the fried version, according to the company's website. A cup of boiled lentils, a single almond Snickers bar and a grande coffee Frappucino from Starbucks have the same calorie count.
• 130: Number of members of the Facebook group "Bring Back the Original McDonald's Fried Apple Pie"
• 170 million: Number of American-grown apples that McDonald's says it serves every year at its US stores.
• 35: Height, in feet, of a giant fried apple pie that McDonald's is installing on Route 66 in Joliet, Illinois, near McDonald's Chicago headquarters. That's about the height of a three-story house and some species of palm trees. The giant apple pie will stay in place until July 4, the company said.