1. George Alan Cohon was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Carolyn and Jack Cohon, who worked as a lawyer and later a baker.
12 Facts About George Cohon
1. 2.
George Cohon's father was Ukrainian Jewish and his mother American Jewish.
3.
George Cohon grew up in Chicago sharing a bedroom with his older sister, Sandy.
4.
George Cohon opened his first McDonald's location in London, Ontario on November 11,1968.
5.
George Cohon later became chairman, president and chief executive officer of McDonald's Restaurants of Canada.
6.
George Cohon grew his McDonald's franchise by himself until 1971, when McDonald's bought him out with stock.
7.
In 1988, George Cohon was appointed to sit on the board of the Royal Bank of Canada and Director of the Board of Astral Inc and Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation.
8.
George Cohon was involved in opening McDonald's in the former Soviet Union with the first restaurant opening in Moscow on January 31,1990.
9.
At the 1991 G7 Summit in London, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney personally complained to Mikhail Gorbachev about the difficulties George Cohon was experiencing doing business in the Soviet Union.
10.
George Cohon was the founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides accommodation for families whose children are receiving medical treatment, in Canada and in Russia.
11.
In 2000, George Cohon was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but fully recovered.
12.
George Cohon died in Toronto on November 24,2023, at the age of 86.