HERE'S WHAT ICONIC CANDY CAME OUT THE YEAR YOU WERE BORN

Give me a bag of Reese’s Pumpkins or York Peppermint Patties and I’m one happy camper. Candy may not have the best rep nutritionally, but what it lacks in nutrients it more than makes up for in pure joy. There’s just something about a piece of candy that makes you feel like a kid again, and honestly, what could be better than that?

While it may seem like Halloween has the monopoly on candy, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it throughout the year. In fact, trick-or-treating didn’t really become popular until the late 1940s, long after candy had already been around. Some historians even trace candy back to the ancient Egyptians! But fast-forward to today, and you may find yourself wondering when your favorite sweets first showed up. As it turns out, some of them might have hit the scene around the same time you did.

1920s

Reese’s are probably one of the most beloved candies of all time. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, and Reese’s has cornered the market. The brand’s Peanut Butter Cups were created in 1928 by Harry Burnett Reese, a former Hershey employee. Today, Reese’s has more than 100 different products, ranging from cereal and candy to cookies and spreads.

1930s

The iconic Snickers bar dates all the way back to 1930, when it was created by Frank Mars of Mars Incorporated. The name itself has a fun backstory, too: Snickers was actually the name of the family horse. Back when it first came out, you could snag one for just five cents. Can you imagine?

1940s

Forrest E. Mars Sr., son of Frank Mars, is the man responsible for the colorful M&M’s we all know and love today. The brand’s plain chocolate candies were introduced in 1941, but it wasn’t until nearly a decade later that the company started printing its signature “m” on each piece to fend off copycats.

1950s

Peeps were created in 1953 by Just Born, and at the time, each one took a staggering 27 hours to make. Today, that process takes just six minutes. The original Peeps chicks had wings, but those were dropped in the late ’50s for a more streamlined look. While Peeps now come in a variety of colors, yellow is still the most popular for both chicks and bunnies.

1960s

Starburst first burst onto the scene in the United Kingdom in 1960. Another Mars creation, the candy was originally called Opal Fruits. But when it reached the United States in 1967, it was renamed Starburst and has flourished ever since.

1970s

It’s hard to imagine a world without Jelly Belly, but the brand is a relatively recent addition among candy royalty. Jelly Belly launched in 1976 with eight original flavors: Root Beer, Grape, Green Apple, Very Cherry, Tangerine, Cream Soda, Licorice, and Lemon. Today, the company offers 50 official flavors of jelly beans.

1980s

This tiny little candy officially made nerds cool. In 1983, the Willy Wonka Candy Company debuted Nerds, which originally came in split boxes featuring two flavors, either Orange & Cherry or Grape & Strawberry. Today, people go absolutely nuts for new versions of the candy, especially its infamous Nerds Gummy Clusters.

1990s

If you didn’t know at least one person who burned a hole in their tongue sucking on a Warhead, did you even have a proper childhood? Technically, Warheads were created in Taiwan in the 1970s, but it took another 20 years for them to make their North American debut. In 1993, the sour candy came to the U.S. in five flavors: Blue Raspberry, Green Apple, Watermelon, Lemon, and Black Cherry. Since then, the brand has expanded to include jelly beans, gummy worms, and even energy drinks.

2000s

Another import, Hi-Chews had long been popular in Japan, where it was first created in the 1970s, before it expanded to the U.S. in 2008. As someone who went to high school with many students from overseas, I was thrilled to finally get these myself instead of relying on someone to bring back a stash.

2010s

If you thought these were a little more retro, you’d be correct. Reed’s Candy Company dates back to 1893 and became famous for its butterscotch and other hard candies. But the brand was eventually discontinued in 2006. Luckily, Iconic Candy—a company devoted to reviving gone-but-not-forgotten sweets—brought Reed’s back from the dead in 2015, using the same recipes and flavors people grew up with.

2020s

Perhaps one of the few good things to come out of 2020 was Nerds Gummy Clusters. The candy quickly gained a cult following and became single-handedly responsible for catapulting the Nerds brand back into the zeitgeist. In fact, since the launch of Gummy Clusters, Nerds’ sales reportedly jumped from $50 million in 2019 to more than $500 million by 2024.

2026-05-12T19:09:27Z