The Most Popular Candy That Debuted The Year You Were Born

No childhood is complete without candy. From birthday parties to Halloween to Easter egg hunts, sugary sweets are the ultimate reward, indulgence, and small taste of happiness for every kid. But what children snacked on has changed throughout the years as new candies hit store shelves with each passing decade. The treat you loved most as a child very well could depend on the most popular candy that debuted the year you were born, so we tracked those sweets down.

Now, not every single year had a popular candy hit store shelves, but the vast majority of years between 1936 and 2000 had something sweet arrive on the scene. The 1930s and '40s, for instance, saw the arrival of classic chocolate confections kids today still know and love, such as Hershey's Miniatures, M&M's, and the Almond Joy.

As time went on, the candies got fruitier and kitschier. The '50s and '60s were playful with candy necklaces, Pixy Stix, Lemonheads, and Charms Blow Pops, while the 1970s, '80s, and '90s innovated with packaging, playfulness, and interactivity with candies like Pop Rocks, Bubble Tape, and the Baby Bottle Pop. 

Nestle's Crunch bar was such a massive success that rivals Hershey came up with a crisped rice chocolate bar of their own in 1938. The Krackel was first sold as a full-size chocolate bar, until being relegated to just a mix-in in Hershey's Miniatures in 1997. In 2014, the full-size Krackel hit store shelves once again, making fans of this classic candy very, very happy.

The York Peppermint Pattie may be a favorite refreshing candy nationwide today, but when the York Cone Company launched this treat in 1940, it was only available in the northeastern United States. It didn't go national until 35 years after its initial debut, in 1975. And while the York Peppermint Pattie is the biggest candy to debut in 1940, it wasn't alone. The chewy fruit candies Mike and Ike also first hit store shelves at the beginning of this decade.

It's hard to find a gumdrop that is more satisfying than Dots, which made their grand debut in 1945. These fruity candies come in cherry, lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry flavors. Though they're more famous today, Dots were actually preceded by another gumdrop candy from the same brand, Crows. As their name implies, Crows are all-black and are flavored like licorice.

Though Bazooka Bubble Gum was historically best known for its small comic strips, when this chewing gum was introduced in 1947, it was comic-less. Yes, Topps added in Bazooka Joe and his wacky adventures in 1953. Today, gum fans will have to look elsewhere for a laugh; Bazooka swapped out comics for brain teasers in 2012.

The 1950s got off to a fiery start, thanks to the debut of Hot Tamales at the start of the decade. If you're not a fan of chewy cinnamon sweets with a candy coating, you also had an option to cool down in 1950. Andes Chocolate Mints, best known as an after-dinner treat, also came out this year.

There are a lot of things you don't know about Peeps. For instance, did you know when they were acquired by Just Born in 1953 it would take over 27 hours to make one Peep? After JustBorn purchased the brand, the process was streamlined and the time to make these sugar-coated marshmallow birds was slashed, allowing them to be sold nationwide!

The history of the candy necklace is a murky one, but this wearable confection reportedly was first released in 1958. Little girls and boys have been stylish despite their sticky necks ever since!

Sweet, sour, hard, and chewy fruit candies seemed to be a theme in 1962. Not only is this when Now and Later hit shelves, Lemonheads also debuted this year. Though they initially only came in the citrus fruit flavor, today you can find Appleheads, Cherryheads, and Grapeheads.

Though it's known as the 100 Grand Bar today, when this chocolate, crisp rice, and caramel confection debuted in 1966, it was called the $100,000 Bar. Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to!

For the longest time, you had to choose between eating a lollipop or chewing gum. The tragedy! Luckily, the Charms Blow Pop entered the scene in 1969 and quickly became the Charms Company's best-selling candy. Bubblegum fans were having a good time in '69; Fruit Stripe Gum also came out this year.

While Mentos were released in the Netherlands in 1948, the United States couldn't be fresh and full of life until 1972, when these chewy mints came to the country. While they're known for their mint and fruit flavors today, when Mentos were first released in the Netherlands, they were licorice flavored.

The 1970s were all about fun, interactive candies. If Fun Dip and Laffy Taffy weren't already a good enough time, Pop Rocks exploded onto store shelves in 1975. Though they're found everywhere today (including in Oreos), Pop Rocks weren't an immediate success. The concept was patented in 1961, but the candy wasn't released until '75 and wasn't widespread until the 1980s.

Though Reese's Pieces came out in 1977, they weren't wildly popular until 1982, when "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" hit movie theaters. The titular character in that film is crazy about Reese's Pieces and helped the then-struggling candy to become the hit it is today.

Twix have been available in the U.K. since 1967, but they didn't come stateside until 1979. The bar's British origin is reflected in this candy's name; Twix actually is short for "twin biscuit sticks," reflecting the candy's two-in-one packaging. Ring Pops and Hubba Bubba bubblegum also debuted in 1979.

First made internationally in the 1970s, Skittles were first produced and distributed widely in America in 1982. Like many popular candies, the green Skittles were originally lime flavored but were swapped for the trendier green apple in 2013. Fruit candies were all the rage in 1982; Runts debuted this year as well.

While it may seem like Goetze's Cow Tales have been around for centuries (and while they may sit in your trick-or-treat bag for years), this long, chewy caramel with a cream center has actually only been around for 35 years! Yes, Cow Tales first hit the market in 1984. However, the Goetze's Candy Company has been making its flagship product, Caramel Creams, since 1918.

Up until 1986 and the debut of the Push Pop, you really only had one way to eat a lollipop (on a stick). The unique packaging on this treat allowed you to eat some candy now and easily save some for later, solving a longtime conundrum.

First came the M&M, then the world met Peanut M&M's, and then in 1991 a new kid arrived on the block... Peanut Butter M&M's. How are these candy-coated confections different than their rival Reese's Pieces? Peanut Butter M&M's have a small chocolate layer, whereas Reese's Pieces do not.

The iconic Hershey bar got a funky new variation in 1994: Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme. This white chocolate bar mimics cookies and creme ice cream with little crunchy chocolate cookie bites in each bar.

If you thought kitschy packaging was left in the 1980s, you would be wrong. The Baby Bottle Pop, a lollipop that came with a baby bottle tip lollipop and a sugary powder in the bottle, was released in 1998. The iconic jingle still plays on loop in many millennials' heads to this day.

Though Jelly Belly jelly beans had been around for decades by the time the new millennium rolled around, the brand got a new life thanks to the cultural phenomenon known as Harry Potter. In 2000, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans debuted, inspired by the hit fantasy series. Though these boxes of beans featured classic jelly bean flavors like blueberry and cinnamon, they also include more — shall we say — unique flavors, such as earthworm, booger, sausage, and vomit. And if you think this food trend is weird, earwax-flavored jelly beans are nothing compared to the most peculiar food trend from the year you were born.