The name M&M’s came directly from the surnames of the two partners: Mars and Murrie. It was a simple choice that would eventually become one of the most recognizable candy names in the world. On March 3, 1941, Forrest Mars received a patent for the manufacturing process, and production began that same year in Newark, New Jersey.
The first candies were slightly different from today’s familiar versions. They were packaged in cardboard tubes rather than colorful bags and were initially marketed primarily to American military personnel. Their durable sugar coating made them particularly useful during wartime, when soldiers needed convenient food that could withstand difficult conditions.
