A brief history of America's Favorite Chocolate Candies

M&M Candies really are a favorite of many as well as their slogan, "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands" still holds true some 80 years after Forrest Mars, Sr., founding father of the Mars Company saw soldiers in the Spanish Civil War eating chocolate pellets engrossed in a shell of tempered chocolate. With some work to create what he saw, Mars received a patent for M&Ms on March 3, 1941 and production began with a factory in Newark, Nj.

The candies bear the initials M&M after Mars himself and Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey's Chocolate president. Murrie held 20 % interest in the newest venture. It absolutely was an excellent business decision Hershey had power over the rationed chocolate. This partnership allowed the candies to make using Hershey's chocolate.

Initial production created five colors: violet, green, red, yellow and brown. The candies were distributed in cardboard tubes.

In the onset of Wwii, M&Ms were exclusively sold to the military. This caused an increase in production and required a more substantial factory.

In 1948, Mars would cash out Murrie's Twenty percent inside the company and switch the cardboard tube packaging with black cellophane, which is nearly the same as the bag we have seen todaybonbons

In the 1950's Mars used a black M around the candies. It had been the very first time the candies appeared with correspondence, which later get to be the well-recognized white M we use today. The decade from the 1950s also launched Mars production when Midwest Research Institute in Might, Missouri made a process where 3,300 pounds from the chocolate centers could be coated every hour!

In the onset of 1954, Peanut M&Ms were introduced combined with the signature slogan, Melts in your mouth, not within your hands" as well as the lovable M&M characters made their television debut! It would not be until 1960, however, how the Peanut M&M's were colored in red, green and yellow.

The 1960s found Mars manipulating the centers of M&M's trying Almonds. We were holding not popular. In 1988 the organization reintroduced the almond centered M&Ms as a exclusive edition during Easter and xmas. It can't be until 1992 that Almond M&M's became a standard part of production.

                                                                                 
In 1976, due to concerns of Red #2 dye causing cancer, Mars dropped the red M&Ms and replaced them orange. Mars did this as a way to fulfill their consumers because the M&M candies did not support the dye.

The 1980s were a time of celebration as M&M's went international and beyond hitting markets australia wide, Europe, Hong Kong, Canada, Belgium, netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Malaysia and the Uk. Then in 1983, M&Ms found their way into space and also have been an integral part of all missions since!

Twenty six years ago M&M's was the official treats from the Olympics located in La, California.

In 1990, became a sponsor for NASCAR, allowing the M&M team with drivers: Ernie Irvan, Ken Schrader, Eliott Sadler and Kyle Busch.

Peanut Butter M&Ms were introduced in 1991.

Fans were invited to vote, in 1995, over a color to exchange the tan M&M. Votes were cast by calling 1-800-FUN-COLOR as well as the consumer's choice was BLUE.

1996 gives M&M fans the chance to create their own colored M&Ms, from 21 color choices, with ColorWorks.

The popular Green M&M makes her television debut and M&M World in Las Vegas opens its doors to the public.

In 1998, M&M went back to tubes with all the introduction with the M&M Minis. It absolutely was also in this coming year that M&Ms had become the "candy with the new millennium" as MM is the roman numeral for 2000. One year later, Crispy M&Ms were introduced and were yielded the best profit of any M&M variety.

Mars calls about the public again in 2002 making use of their "M&Ms Global Color Vote". Three choices for a brand new M&M color were options: aqua, pink and purple. Purple won and was featured as a limited time only color.

                                                                                 
MyMMs.com is introduced in 2004, giving consumers the possibility to print on M&Ms, with personalized phrases on each candy about the opposite side in the "m". There are 17 vibrant color options available.

In 2005 Mars joins the force with the launch of these "MPire" campaign that introduced theChocolates M&M towards the public.

To draw more awareness of the MMs.com site, in 2007, M&M's produced a 50-foot, smiling Lady Liberty M&M statue to begin a campaign encouraging Americans to make their very own M&M characters at mms.com.

Pretzel M&Ms were introduced this season and also the M&M packaging designs changed to exhibit M&Ms about the wrapper