Anyone who has seen National Petroleum Day on their calendar has probably wondered why there is a day that celebrates petroleum. That’s what we thought at first, but then we did a bit of research and realized that there is more to this holiday than meets the eye.

Although it does celebrate the contributions that petroleum has made to modern society, it also gives people a chance to reflect on the damage that has been done to the environment because of the petroleum industry. No matter how a person chooses to observe this holiday, they can do so when it comes around on August 27th.

The History of National Petroleum Day

Asphalt, a semi-solid form of petroleum, was first used more than 4,000 years ago to construct the towers and walls of Babylon. Petroleum was first used as a fuel in ancient China approximately 2,000 years ago.

It was extracted and used as a fuel since the 1st century B.C. and was even mentioned in one of the earliest Chinese books in existence, the “I Ching.” Another byproduct of petroleum, tar, was used to pave the streets of Baghdad during the 9th century.

So, it goes without saying that petroleum has been around and utilized by humans for quite a long time. Petroleum use would really take off during the 19th century, however. This is when coal oil, kerosene, and eventually gasoline were produced from petroleum.

Unfortunately, at this time, we were unable to uncover the history of National Petroleum Day. We’re unsure who invented it, why they invented it, or even its intended purpose. Some people use this holiday to highlight how petroleum has changed the world in a positive manner, while others use the holiday to illustrate how petroleum has been detrimental to the natural world.

Some Quick Facts About Petroleum

Below are some quick facts about petroleum that we think our readers would want to know. Let’s take a quick peek at the following facts before moving on to how National Petroleum Day is celebrated.

• Oil is measured in barrels. Each barrel is equivalent to 159 liters or 42 U.S. gallons.
• Gasoline accounts for approximately 45% of crude oil.
• In the past two decades, there have been over two dozen oil spills in the U.S.

Observing National Petroleum Day

National Petroleum Day is a holiday that everyone can observe in their own way. If they want to learn about and celebrate the history of petroleum, they can. If they want to use this day as a way to highlight the negative effects of petroleum on the planet, they can do that as well.

No matter how this day is observed, however, people might want to take the time to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #NationalPetroleumDay on social media.