Just about every kid has had M&Ms, the milk chocolate candy that "melts in your mouth, not in your hand," the trademarked slogan of M&M Mars, the company that created them. They're very popular now with all types of people, but they had to be created. How did that happen?

The first part is easy to figure out. The two "M"s on the candy's shell are the last names of their creators, Forrest Mars and William Murrie. In 1941, they made the first batch, which came wrapped in paper tubes. They became popular with American soldiers in World War II because they were easy to carry.

There were six original colors: red, yellow, green, brown, orange, and violet. Tan replaced the violet in 1949. The "M"s on the candy's shell first appeared in 1950 to tell them apart from counterfeit candies. And, in 1954, Peanut M&Ms were introduced. Today over 400,000,000 M&Ms are made each day.