On May 16th, 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, received Patent No. 256 in Volume 33 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce’s official publication, the Bollettino delle privative industriali del Regno d’Italia. It carried the descriptive title: “Nuovi apparecchi a vapore per la confezione economica ed istantanea del caffè in bevanda. Sistema” (“New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage, method”). He had made a delicious shot of coffee powered entirely by steam and atmospheric pressure. He debuted it for a delighted crowd at the General Expo of Turin that year but somehow it only won a Bronze medal.

If you want to celebrate an Italian contribution to modern people, this is more important to billions than Columbus.