This Week in Oil and Gas History

February 25, 1919

Oregon places a 1 cent tax on gasoline. Within 10 years every state will have a gasoline tax. In 1932, Herbert Hoover will get the federal government into the act by adding another penny for the feds.

February 23, 1942

Japanese submarine I-17 fires shells into the refinery at Ellwood, California. 17 shells were fired over a period of about 20 minutes. The gunnery was wildly inaccurate and did little damage but it did spark panic and invasion rumors. The following night, anti aircraft batteries in LA would fire over 1000 rounds based on a UFO sighting. The "battle" lasted about 30 minutes. Proving that what goes up must come down, over 10 tons of shrapnel and unexploded ammunition fell on Los Angeles.