Lakeview Gusher Oil Spill 1910
The largest accidental oil spill in history (as of 2025) wasn't BP's infamous Deepwater Horizon but the Lakeview Gusher of 1910. Between March 1910 and September 1911, California's Lakeview Gusher Number One in the Midway-Sunset Oil Field became the site of the largest accidental oil spill in history. A pressurized well blew out, releasing more than 9 million barrels of crude oil and flooding Kern County with literal rivers of oil.
Amazingly, the field never caught fire-a miracle considering the sheer volume of flammable crude. For perspective, the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster spilled "only" 4.9 million barrels into the Gulf of Mexico. Over a century later, the Lakeview Gusher still holds the record as the worst oil spill the world has ever seen.