Fun Fact: On August 27, 1859, Edwin Drake drilled the first successful oil well near Titusville, Pennsylvania. This event marked the birth of the modern petroleum industry, which has since powered countless vehicles, industries, and innovations—an achievement that arguably helped fuel the modern world in quite a literal way.by johnataylor on TwosFun Fact: On August 27, 1859, Edwin Drake drilled the first successful oil well near Titusville, Pennsylvania. This event marked the birth of the modern petroleum industry, which has since powered countless vehicles, industries, and innovations—an achievement that arguably helped fuel the modern world in quite a literal way.