In 1912, Clarence Crane, a chocolate maker in Cleveland, Ohio, invented Life Savers as a heat-resistant candy alternative to chocolate for the summer months. Inspired by a pill-making machine and the shape of life preservers, he created the ring-shaped mints and aptly named them "Life Savers." The first flavor was Pep-O-Mint.
Crane, however, didn't foresee the massive popularity of his creation. In 1913, he sold the rights to Life Savers for a mere $2,900 to Edward Noble, who recognized the candy's potential.
In 1921, Life Savers expanded beyond mints and introduced solid fruit drops. By 1925, they perfected the technology to create fruit drops with the signature hole. The initial fruit flavors were Orange, Lemon, and Lime.
