A Small Container and a Huge Impact

The idea behind this blog is to discuss events that effect all of our lives, either a huge event that we all know and can recall or the little events throughout history that are seldom recognized. In this blog I would love to hear comments on how people feel about the invention of the can. No not that one, but the container that makes it possible for some college students to survive.
"An army marches on it's stomach." You may recognize this quote from the vertically challenged Napoleon Bonaparte. In the early parts of the 19th century he needed a way to feed his armies as they marched all over Europe on his conquest. He offered 12,000 Francs to whomever could answer his call. And it was soon answered by a Frenchmen named Nicholas Appart. He stuffed food in a wine bottle, corked it and put it in boiling water. Although he did not understand how this worked and Pasteur would not answer this question for several years, he was able to collect his reward and Napoleon was able to feed his army.
There was one problem in the invention and it was the nature of the container. It was breakable. This was soon remedied by the British less than a decade later as a man named Duran improved it by using a metal container with a soldered lid. The soldering technique was very dirty and slow; however, much sturdier than the glass bottle.
The can was once a military necessity; however, it has helped artist become famous (though only for 15 minutes), an Italian Chef to become a household name, and also a safety precaution in the panic of the Cold War. I just want to hear your views on the importance of the can or a reason why it is not that important or add other tidbits of information for people to read.