So THAT's What The M&M Initials Actually Stand For

There are some things we take for granted without really knowing why. For instance, I just accept that wi-fi works without much question; I don’t really query lightbulbs, either. 

And until recently, I never even considered that M&Ms could stand for something. But I recently stumbled across an old Reddit post that revealed the initials have stood for Mars and Murrie’s this entire time.

“Damn, learn something new everyday,” one commenter said.

“Yea but how do you know which piece of candy stands for Mars and which one stands for Murrie?” another asked.

Here’s where the initials come from: 

It’s all to do with the founders ― and war

Ever thought M&Ms were a bit like beefy Smarties? Well, there’s a reason for that.

The son of the Mars company founder, Forrest Mars Sr., spotted British soldiers eating Smarties in the 1930s during the Spanish Civil War. The sugar-coated chocolate inspired him to invent M&Ms, which got given a patent in 1941. 

He’s responsible for the first M in the initials. 

The second M, Murrie, comes from Bruce Murrie ― the son of Hershie’s Chocolate president William F. R. Murrie. He had a 20% share in the product, and Hershey’s chocolate was used to make the original product. 

Then, more war

Aside from being inspired by Civil War snacks, M&Ms were actually once used to feed soldiers during World War II. 

Speaking to Confectionary News, Tim Lebel, president of sales for Mars, said that the sweets were included in MREs (meals ready to eat) because of how well they survived warm climates.

In fact, starting in 1945, the sweets got a special cellophane wrapper specially made for the Red Cross.

Soldiers got used to the sweets, and, like Spam, took to eating them when they came home. 

What’s in a name, eh?