Candy-
Starburst Jelly Beans, for the win- Seven decades of sweet, salty, and sour goodness.
M&Ms, Pixy Stix, And More!
The following written content by Shana Lynch
Think you know what candy was the most popular the year you were born? Only one way to find out!
1941
M&M’s
These little candies have a very colorful origin story. During the Spanish Civil war, Forest Mars Sr., son of the inventor of the Milky Way, witnessed soldiers eating small chocolate beads covered in hard sugar shells and was inspired. Chocolate sales typically dropped during the summer when temperatures rose and Mars was excited at the idea of inventing a product that wouldn’t melt. He and Bruce Murrie, son of Hershey executive William Murrie, joined together to create the original M&M’s (Mars + Murrie = M&M).
In 1941, Mars received a patent for his product and began mass-producing the little chocolate in Newark, NJ. They were originally sold in tubes and shelled in brown, red, orange, yellow, green, and violet coatings and only available to soldiers in the war. The candies were first stamped with a black “M” in 1950, which later changed to the white “M” we know and love today in 1954.
1960
Starburst
These fruity, chewy candies were first launched in the U.K. in 1960, making their way over the Atlantic in 1967. The original flavors were strawberry, lemon, orange, and lime.
1970
Snickers’ Munch Bar
Introduced in 1970, this candy bar is known today as simply “Munch” and has been a chocolate-peanut butter classic for decades.
1980
Big League Chew
Former Portland Mavericks left-hander Rob Nelson is the mastermind behind this unique, shredded gum. As the #1 shredded gum in the world, baseball fans everywhere are still chewing on this everyday.
1993
Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme
The fan-favorite combines two incredible flavors into one cookie bar. White chocolate surrounding tiny cookie bits is a combination even the healthiest eaters can’t resist.
2001
Harry Potter Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans
In 2001, the first Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone, depending where in the world you’re located) hit theaters and people everywhere went crazy. In response to the growing phenomenon that was (and still is) the Harry Potter fandom, Jelly Belly released Bertie’s Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, modeled after one of the most popular candies in the magic world. Now even muggles could enjoy snacking on Rotten Egg, Earthworm, and Buttered Popcorn flavored jelly beans.
Read more from Delish to learn about which candy came out the year you were born.
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