How many years candy bars been around?

It's impossible to give an exact year for when candy bars first appeared. Here's why:

* Evolution, not a single invention: Candy bars as we know them evolved gradually over time. Early forms might have been simple blocks of chocolate or sugared treats.

* Different regions: Chocolate and candy-making existed in various cultures for centuries. Early examples were likely in the form of sweetmeats or confections, not the modern, packaged candy bar.

* The modern candy bar: The recognizable candy bar format (chocolate, nougat, nuts, etc.) likely started to take shape in the late 19th century, with mass production emerging in the early 20th century.

Notable milestones:

* 1847: Cadbury Brothers started making chocolate in England, paving the way for chocolate candies.

* 1875: Milton Hershey begins experimenting with chocolate making in the USA.

* 1895: Milton Hershey's "Milk Chocolate" bar becomes a popular item, a precursor to the modern Hershey's bar.

* Early 1900s: Many popular candy bars (like M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way) emerge, fueled by innovations in mass production and marketing.

So, while we can't pinpoint a single "invention" year, the concept of the candy bar as we know it has been around for over a century, with its roots going back much further.