The two m’s in M&M’s stand for Mars & Murrie, the two founders of the candy. The founder of Mars candy company, Franklin Clarence Mars, had a falling out with his son Forest Edward Mars, and Forest headed to England to make candy. On a visit to Spain, he saw soldiers eating chocolate in a candied shell, which he promptly copied and patented the manufacturing process. Smarties had come out in 1937, and Forest likely was “inspired” by them. He teamed up with William Murrie, son of Hershey’s Company president, giving him a twenty percent stake and using Hershey’s chocolate. Eight years later, in 1949, Mars bought Murrie’s share of the company for $1 million and manufactured them at Mars candy company.