#RSS Feed alternate publisher

     * Now
     * NFL Patriots
     * •
     * Ernie Banks
     * •
     * Klay Thompson
     * •
     * SkyMall
     * •
     * Mom On Strike
     * •
     * Weather

     * Good Morning America
     * World News Tonight
     * Nightline
     * 20/20
     * This Week
     *
     * Sign In
     * Search______________ Search

     * ABC News
     * Home
     * Video
     * U.S.
     * World
     * Politics
     * Entertainment
     * Tech
     * Health
     * Lifestyle
     * Money
     * Shows
          + GMA
          + World News Tonight
          + Nightline
          + 20/20
          + This Week
     * More
          + Investigative
          + Money
          + Sports
          + Good News
          + Photos
          + Fusion
          + Job Search
          + Live
     * [gear_icon.png]
       Weather Preferences ____________________
       Cancel
       Set

     * ABC News
     * Home
     * Video
     * U.S.
     * World
     * Politics
     * Entertainment
     * Tech
     * Health
     * Lifestyle
     * Money
     * More
          + Investigative
          + Sports
          + Good News
          + Photos
          + Job Search
          + Fusion
          + Live

   Home> ABC News

Pop Rocks Celebrates 50 Years of Fizzing

   April 18, 2006

   The same year that Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine for polio, a
   little-known chemist at General Foods stumbled on to what would provide
   a revolution in mouths across the country.

   Find out more on this story along with the latest headlines during the
   'World News Tonight' webcast, daily at 3 p.m. ET. Click here to watch.

   William A. Mitchell had a simple hope in 1956 -- make instant soda from
   a tablet. The soda didn't pan out, but he created a hit. His research
   led to the invention of Pop Rocks candy.

   Twenty years later, the colorful, sugary treat that explodes on your
   tongue became one of the most-popular candies in America. Packets were
   found in candy machines and stuffed in lunchboxes.

   What makes these candy rocks pop on your tongue, though? The tiny
   shards of candy include a gasified form of carbon dioxide. When they
   hit saliva in the mouth, the result is an unmistakable buzz.

   As concerns were raised over potential injuries from these small
   explosions, health officials said the candy was safe, but urban legends
   about Pop Rocks fatalities still ran wild.

   One example involved actor John Gilchrist, who played the finicky child
   Mikey in the Life cereal ads. As the false story went, Gilchrist mixed
   Pop Rocks and soda, and met his death.

   Today, the makers of Pop Rocks hope the brand can live on as a
   nostalgia product.

   Related Topics: Jonas Salk, Infectious Diseases

   Join the Discussion

   Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. blog
   comments powered by Disqus

   Hot Right Now
   1
   PHOTO: Paper bag lunch.
   Dad Posts Teacher's Meddling Note Over Packed Lunch
   2
   PHOTO: ABCs Diane Sawyer, center right, walks through a Port Authority
   bus terminal with New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof, left, and
   Officer Jack Collins, center left, and Sgt. Hector Martinez, right.
   How Young Women Become Sex Trafficking Victims
   3
   PHOTO: Police found Harry ‘Wade’ Atchison’s 1969 Dodge Coronet in a
   canal in West Broward County on Wednesday. Dana Null was last seen with
   Atchinson in 1978.
   Remains Found in Car Linked to 1978 Missing Teens Case
   4
   PHOTO: Bradley Cooper appears in a scene from American Sniper.
   What 'American Sniper' Got Right and Wrong
   5
   PHOTO: Cory Redding #90 of the Indianapolis Colts tackles Tom Brady #12
   of the New England Patriots in the third quarter of the 2015 AFC
   Championship Game on Jan. 18, 2015, in Foxboro, Mass.
   Players Pile on Pats QB Over 'Deflate-Gate'

   You Might Also Like...
   Photo Galleries
   [spacer.gif]
   Futuristic Scenes of Urbanization Around the World
   View: Futuristic Scenes of Urbanization Around the World
   Travel
   [spacer.gif]
   PHOTO: Gluta the dog.
   View: Cancer-Surviving Rescue Dog Shines Brightly With Bliss
   Lifestyle
   [spacer.gif]
   null
   View: Injured Soldiers Use Art Therapy Masks to Cope With Wounds
   US
   [spacer.gif]
   null
   View: Oymyakon, the Coldest Village on Earth
   International
   [spacer.gif]
   PHOTO: Nations Top 10 B&Bs
   View: Nation's Top 10 B&Bs
   Travel
   See It, Share It
   PHOTO: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passes against the
   Indianapolis Colts during the second half of the NFL football AFC
   Championship game, Jan. 18, 2015, in Foxborough, Mass.
   Charles Krupa/AP Photo
   Belichick: 'Climatic Conditions' May Have Under-Inflated Balls
   PHOTO: Burger King Restaurant signage is shown, Dec. 29, 2014.
   Dave Rowland/Getty Images
   Woman Gets Bag Full of Cash at Burger King Drive-Thru
   Sinatras Former Glittering Grotto Under Contract
   Zillow.com | Inset: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
   Frank Sinatra's 'Glittering Grotto' May Finally Have Buyer
   Orange County Fire Authority paramedics Alex Van, right, and Donovan
   George, left, treated a passenger while on board their flight from
   Orange County, California, to Houston on Jan. 23, 2015.
   Orange County Fire Authority
   Hero Paramedics Save Man Whose Heart Stopped During Flight
   VIDEO: Inmates cook for hungry patrons at restaurant at Welsh prison in
   Cardiff.
   ABC News
   Prison Restaurant Takes Top Honor in Capital City
   PHOTO: The SkyRest Travel Pillow.
   SkyMall
   SkyMall Bankruptcy: Top 10 Products We Never Needed
   PHOTO: Paper bag lunch.
   Getty Images
   Dad Posts Teacher's Meddling Note Over Packed Lunch

   Yahoo!-ABC News Network
   Privacy Policy Your CA Privacy Rights Children's Online Privacy Policy
   Interest-Based Ads Terms of Use Contact Us
   © 2015 ABC News Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.

   Quantcast