Tassimo's new micro coffee brewing architecture

During the 16th century, the Mufti of Constantinople forbade drinking coffee. Users in Cairo and Mecca also faced prohibitions. And in Turkey, where coffee drinking was banned as well, those caught taking the forbidden drink after a second offense supposedly were sewn into leather bags and dumped into the Bosporus Strait. from PBS

The origins of the Cappucino

The "cappucino" was created when 17th century priest Marco d'Aviano rallied Christian armies to drive the Ottoman Turks from Vienna in 1683. When the Turks left Italy, they allegedly left behind their notoriously bitter coffee. The Viennese added milk and named the resulting concoction after the religious order of their priest -- Capuchin. from PBS

Coffee's role in world commerce

Coffee has influenced world trade in many ways, not the least of which was the foundation of world maritime insurance house, Lloyds of London. Edward Lloyd opened a coffee house in 1688, encouraging a clientele of ships' captains, merchants and ship owners - earning him a reputation for trustworthy shipping news. This ensured that Lloyd's coffee house became recognised as the place for obtaining marine insurance.

The Legend

According to legend an Arabian goatherd named Kaldi found his goats dancing joyously around a dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Kaldi soon determined that it was the bright red cherries on the shrub that were causing the peculiar euphoria and after trying the cherries himself, he learned of their powerful effect. The stimulating effect was then exploited by monks at a local monastery to stay awake during extended hours of prayer and distributed to other monasteries around the world. Coffee was born. Coffee Research

And finally, for an interesting look at the history of coffee with all th thoroughness you'd expect, check Wikipedia's coverage of coffee and its origins.