14 Fascinating Facts About Hershey's: Unveiling the Sweet Secrets

Hey, check out these super sweet facts about Hershey's! Like, we all have our favorite Hershey's candy, right? But there's some cool stuff about the company behind those yummy treats that you might not know. Get ready to have your mind blown!

1. So get this, the whole Hershey Empire was built by a dude with only a fourth-grade education. Milton Hershey, the man behind it all, moved around a ton when he was a kid and changed schools all the time. After finishing fourth grade, his parents were like, "Okay, time to learn a trade, buddy!" So he started an apprenticeship with a printer, but he totally hated it. Then, in 1872, he started working for a confectioner in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And the rest is history!

2. Did you know that Milton Hershey's first love was caramel? Yeah, back in 1876, he went to Philadelphia and used his skills from being a confectioner's apprentice to start his own business called Crystal A. Caramels. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, and he had to try again. So he went to Denver, got another apprenticeship, and then started a second company in New York City. But guess what? That one failed too. But he didn't give up! He went back home and turned his third venture, the Lancaster Caramel Company, into a huge success with over 1400 employees. Talk about persistence!

3. Get this: Milton Hershey didn't even get into chocolate until 17 years after his first caramel company. It wasn't until he attended the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago that he got interested in chocolate making. He saw this awesome German chocolate production display and was totally inspired. So when the exposition closed, he bought the machinery from the exhibit and opened the Hershey Chocolate Company back in Lancaster. And it was a massive hit! In 1900, he even sold his caramel company for a cool $1 million to focus on chocolate. Sweet deal, right?

4. Now here's a fun fact: Hershey's used to make gum. Yeah, Milton Hershey was all about taking on his rivals. When he heard that Beech Nut Gum was gonna start making chocolate and try to put him out of business, he was like, "Nuh-uh!" So he put his cousin Clayton Snavely in charge of getting his gum game on point. They introduced "Easy Chew" in 1915, but they had trouble getting sugar and chicle (which is a natural gum) because of import restrictions. So sadly, Easy Chew disappeared from store shelves in 1924.

5. Okay, here's a mystery for you: Hershey's KISSES. We all know and love 'em, right? But guess what? No one, and I mean no one, knows how they got their name. Not even the company! Milton Hershey took that secret to the grave. One theory is that the name comes from the sound or motion of the chocolate being deposited during manufacturing. How cool is that?

6. You won't believe this, but Hershey's KISSES used to be wrapped by hand. Can you imagine? Those iconic little bell-shaped chocolates were wrapped in foil with those cute little plumes by hand until 1921. That's a lot of love put into each KISS!

7. Did you know that the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, was built just for the employees of the Hershey factory? Milton Hershey believed that in order for his company to be successful, his employees had to be happy. So he designed and built this whole community with brick houses and lawns. He even created Hersheyparkso that the families of his employees would have a place for fun and relaxation. Talk about going above and beyond for your team!

1. You won't believe what the Hershey's logo used to be. For a whopping seven decades, the image that represented Hershey's was a cute little "Cocoa Bean Baby." It made its debut in 1898 and appeared on packaging and in ads until 1968 when the company became the Hershey Food Corporation. That little baby had quite the run!

2. Here's a crazy connection: Hershey and the Titanic! Yeah, Milton Hershey and his wife, Kitty, actually put down a deposit for a room on the Titanic's maiden voyage. But something happened, and they ended up returning home instead. There are a couple of stories floating around about why they didn't make the trip—either Kitty was sick or Milton had some urgent business to attend to. Either way, they dodged a major disaster.

3. Get ready for a misunderstanding-turned-awesome-name story. So, back in the 1920s, the company wanted to add a peanut product to their lineup. While brainstorming names, someone said the new product was "a good bar." But Milton Hershey, being a little hard of hearing, thought they said "Mr. Goodbar." And guess what? He loved the name, so it stuck! And now we have that delicious peanut-filled chocolate bar we all know and love.

4. Did you know that Hershey's chocolate has a place in U.S. military history? In 1937, representatives from the U.S. Army met with Hershey's and together they worked on creating ration bars. These bars had to be able to withstand tough combat conditions and taste better than a boiled potato, so soldiers wouldn't be tempted to gobble them up too soon. They were called Field Ration D bars, and while they weren't a big hit with the troops, Hershey's produced over a billion of them between 1941 and 1945. Talk about supporting the troops with chocolate power!

5. Hold on to your hats for this one. After the success of the Ration D bar, Hershey's teamed up with the military again to create a heat-resistant chocolate bar. Yeah, you heard me right. They made a chocolate bar that could withstand up to an hour in scorching 120-degree temperatures. These special bars were given to hungry soldiers entering warmer climates. But get this—they were even sent to astronauts aboard Apollo 15 in 1971. That's right, Hershey's chocolate made its way to the moon!

6. Brace yourself for a hidden secret. There's a KISS hiding in the Hershey's KISSES logo. Seriously, take a closer look. Right between the K and I in KISSES, there's a sneaky sideways KISS. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Mind officially blown!

7. Last but not least, Hershey's holds the Guinness World Record for the "World's Largest Piece of Chocolate (Individual)." In 2007, as part of their 100th anniversary celebration for KISSES, they created a giant KISS weighing over 30,000 pounds. It took a team of 152 people nine days to build this 12-foot-tall sculpture and wrap it in over 16,000 feet of foil. Talk about making a big, chocolatey statement!

So there you have it, folks—14 sweet facts about Hershey's that'll make you appreciate those delicious treats even more. Hershey's is not just a brand, it's a chocolate empire with a fascinating history. Now go grab yourself a Hershey's bar and enjoy every chocolatey moment!