The two M's represent the names of Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie, the co-creators of the candy.

M&M's were first sold in 1941, but when World War II began, they were sold exclusively to the U.S. military.

Because the sugar coating prevented the candy from melting in warm climates like the Pacific, M&M's were issued in cardboard tubes as part of the soldier's rations.

During this time, the M&M factory in Newark, New Jersey produced 200,000 pounds of M&M's per week.

As the advertisements of the period maintained, M&M's were "100% at War.”

When the war ended in 1945, the candy again became available to the general public – including the returning American soldiers who had developed a taste for M&M's during their service.

M&M's continued to package the chocolate in tubes until 1948, when the bag we know today was introduced.

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