M&M's are a beloved candy all around the world, known for their hard outer shells, creamy chocolate centers, and colorful variety of colors. But did you know the real story behind these iconic treats?
The origins of M&M's can be traced back to the 1930s, when Forrest Mars, Sr., the son of the founder of the Mars candy company, was traveling in Spain and came across a type of chocolate that was coated in a hard sugar shell. This allowed the chocolate to be eaten without melting, making it a convenient treat for soldiers during the Spanish Civil War.
Mars was inspired by this idea, and upon his return to the United States, he teamed up with a candy maker named Bruce Murrie to create a similar product. They named their new candy M&M's, with the "M" standing for both Mars and Murrie.
M&M's were initially only available in brown, yellow, and red, and were marketed as a "melt-in-your-mouth, not-in-your-hand" candy. They quickly gained popularity, and by 1941, M&M's were being sold to the military for use in World War II.
In the decades that followed, M&M's continued to grow in popularity, and new colors and flavors were introduced, including green, orange, and blue. In the 1990s, M&M's became even more popular with the introduction of the "spokescandies" characters, Red and Yellow, who appeared in humorous advertisements and helped to solidify M&M's place as a cultural icon.
Today, M&M's are available in more than 100 countries, and are enjoyed by millions of people around the world. So the next time you pop a handful of M&M's into your mouth, take a moment to appreciate the unique history behind these tasty treats.