Valentine’s Day is just a few weeks away, and that means an explosion of pink and red cookies, cakes and stores full of those little chalky candy hearts. But as you toss back a few boxes this month, consider these 10 fun facts about Sweethearts. Hearty Beginnings The first hearts were invented in 1866 by Daniel Chase, brother of Necco founder Oliver Chase. They were called “Motto Hearts.” Necco was founded 14 years earlier, and the acronym stands for “New England Confectionery Company.” It’s one of the country’s oldest candy companies. Round-the-clock Rollout To satisfy demand for Sweethearts for Valentine’s Day, production for the next year starts right after the holiday in February and continues until mid-January. More than 7 billion candy hearts are made each year. In Demand Sweethearts are just behind chocolate in candy sales during the holiday of love. Some 13 million pounds of the little candies are sold every year —…