The junk food everyone was obsessed with the year you were born

Talia LakritzJul 23, 2020, 02:59 IST

Pringles.Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Classic junk foods like Mike and Ikes, Oreos, and Goldfish crackers have been popular for decades.
Healthier snacks have become trendy in the 2010s.

No matter your age, you probably have a favorite go-to junk food in the snack aisle.

While popular snacks have been discontinued over the years, others remain intergenerational favorites.

Here's the junk food that people couldn't get enough of the year you were born.

1940: The original flavors of Mike and Ikes were cherry, orange, lemon, and lime.

Mike and Ikes. Paul Krugman/Shutterstock

1945: DOTS gumdrops became all the rage.

DOTS. Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock

1948: M&Ms were popular as rations during World War II.

M&Ms. Amy_Michelle/Shutterstock

1948: Radio ads described Almond Joy as "indescribably delicious."

Almond Joy. Keith Homan/Shutterstock

1953: The popularity of Cheez Whiz kickstarted the processed food industry in the US.

Cheez Whiz. Mich66/Shutterstock

1958: Herr's started adding seasoning to their potato chips.

Barbecue chips. BW Folsom/Shutterstock

1962: Pepperidge Farm founder Margaret Rudkin discovered the addictive snack cracker recipe for Goldfish while visiting Switzerland and brought it to the US in 1962.

Goldfish. Lucien Formichella for Insider

1963: The 100th chain of Dunkin' Donuts opened in 1963, cementing it as a nationwide favorite.

Dunkin' Donuts. Rachel Murray/Getty Images

1965: Dum-Dum lollipops gained popularity in banks, barber shops, and doctors' offices.

Dum-Dums. Sydney Kramer

1967: Starburst candies were invented in the UK in 1960 and brought to the US seven years later.

Starburst. Jennifer Wallace/Shutterstock

1968: The Big Mac ushered in the era of the "big sandwich" when it debuted in 1968.

A Big Mac. Gene J. Puskar/AP

1971: Procter & Gamble introduced Pringles to the US in 1971.

Pringles. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

1974: Nacho cheese Doritos are considered the "original" flavor.

Doritos. Hollis Johnson

1979: Frank Richards invented Ring Pops in 1979 to help wean his daughter off sucking her thumb.

A green Ring Pop. marslasarphotos/Getty Images

1980: President Ronald Reagan was a well-known fan of jelly beans.

Ronald Reagan offers jelly beans to his staff in 1980. Walter Zeboski/AP

1982: Sales of Reese's Pieces tripled after the candy was featured in the movie "E.T."

Reese's Pieces. Amazon

1985: Sour Patch Kids began in Ontario in the 1970s and reached the US in 1985.

Sour Patch Kids. Kelly Tippett/Shutterstock

1986: A classic '80s candy, Push Pops featured lollipops that could be pushed up to enjoy and retracted to save for later.

Push Pops. Amazon

1987: Chex Mix became a fixture at parties.

Chex Mix. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

1988: Ben and Jerry's ice cream earned its creators an award from the White House.

Ben and Jerry's. Marina Nazario/Business Insider

1990: Dunkaroos were wildly popular in the '90s.

Dunkaroos. Amazon

1991: Fruit By The Foot debuted its 3 feet of flavor.

Fruit By The Foot. Amazon

1993: Snackwell's beat out the popularity of Oreos and Ritz crackers.

Snackwell's. Amazon

1998: Oreo O's cereal became a cult favorite.

Oreo O's. Amazon

2002: Brothers Paul and David Merage invented Hot Pockets in 1983 and patented their formula for keeping the microwaveable food crispy.

Hot Pockets. Casey Rodgers/Invision for Nestlé Prepared Foods/Hot Pockets/AP

2000: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from the "Harry Potter" series came to life in 2000 when Jelly Belly created specialty flavors like vomit, dirt, and spinach.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

2005: PepsiCo bought Stacy's Pita Chips, an all-natural snack company.

Stacy's Pita Chips. James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images

2008: Popcorners' airy, popped consistency made the snack a fast favorite.

Popcorners. Amazon

2012: Snickers was the top-selling candy bar in the world.

Snickers. Pixabay

2013: People waited in line for hours to try pastry chef Dominique Ansel's "cronut," a doughnut-croissant combination.

Cronuts. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

2014: The popularity of healthier snacks like trail mix skyrocketed.

Trail mix. CookiesForDevo/Shutterstock

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