Who was Angelo Moriondo? Google Doodle honors the ‘godfather’ of espresso machines on 171st birthday

Google is celebrating the 171st birth anniversary of Angelo Moriondo, who is known to be the godfather of espresso machines. He was born on June 6, 1851, in Turin, Italy, and went on to patent the first ever espresso machine created in 1884. Moriondo's Google Doodle features a GIF created by Olivia When. In its tribute, the doodle reads:

“Today, coffee lovers sip in tribute to the godfather of espresso machines.”

Google Doodle of the first-ever espresso machine (Image via Google Doodle)

Angelo Moriondo was born into a family of entrepreneurs. In a note about the revolutionary inventor, Google said that his relatives “never stopped brewing new ideas or projects.” His grandfather founded a liquor manufacturing company which he later passed on to Moriondo's father. Moriondo's father also created the chocolate company “Moriondo and Gariglio” along with his brother and cousin.

Expanding on his resume as an innovator and businessman, Angelo Moriondo purchased the Grand Hotel Ligure in Piazza Carlo Felice and the American Bar located in the Galleria Nazionale, Rome.

Throughout Mariondo’s life, coffee played a crucial role in Italian culture. Italian coffee fanatics found it inconvenient as it took a considerable amount of time for the coffee to be brewed. Google said in a blogpost:

“Once upon a time, in 19th century Italy, coffee was the hottest item around. Unfortunately, brewing methods required customers to wait over five minutes to get their drink.”

After observing how laborious it was to create the brew, Angelo Moriondo created his espresso machine, which was featured in Turin’s General Expo in 1884. He was awarded a bronze medal for the same.

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How did Angelo Moriondo’s espresso machine work?

The innovator’s coffee machine included a large boiler that pushed steaming hot water into a bed filled with coffee grounds. A second boiler was used as well to produce steam that would “flash” the coffee bed and in turn complete the coffee-making process.

Diagram of the espresso machine (Image via Wikipedia)

Angelo Moriondo received a patent for six years, titled:

“New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage, method ‘A. Moriondo.’”

The first-ever espresso machine was built by a mechanic named Martina, who worked under the supervision of Moriondo. It gained popularity after an international patent publication registered it in Paris on October 23, 1885.

Over the next few years, Moriondo worked on making improvements to the machine. Each development went on to be patented. The inventor stuck to working on the espresso machine and never planned to expand his creativity to a larger scale.

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Google Doodle honors Fasia Jansen

Google also celebrated the 93rd birthday of Fasia Jansen on June 6. She was an influential Afro-German singer, songwriter, and political activist who advocated for peace post-war in West Germany.

Jansen was born in Hamburg in 1929, when racism, inflation, and economic depression were at their peak. She always dreamed of being a dancer and joined a dance academy at the age of 11. However, her aspirations were halted after the academy expelled her, fearing the Nazis would punish the institution for accepting Black students.

She was then forced to cook for the Neuengamme concentration camp. Jansen began singing for political prisoners there and helped them survive the traumatic period.

After World War 2, Jansen dedicated her life to creating powerful music that would speak about political injustices. She famously addressed the Vietnam War and the labor violations in the Ruhr Valley in her music. She was also a strong advocate for Women’s Rights in Germany.