M&M's, including the blue M&M, were first introduced in 1941. However, the blue M&M specifically was added to the mix of M&M colors in 1995. Prior to that, the color lineup consisted of brown, yellow, red, green, and orange. The addition of the blue M&M was a result of a public vote where consumers were given the opportunity to choose a new color to replace the tan M&M. Blue was the winning color choice, and it has been a part of the M&M color assortment ever since.