Ignacy Lukasiewicz
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Jan Józef Ignacy Łukasiewicz (born march 8 1822 - january 7 1882) was the founder of the world petroleum industry. He was born in 1822 in Zaduszniki Dolne (Mielec district), Poland.
He was interested in potential of seep oil as a cheap alternative to expensive whale oil. In 1853 Łukasiewicz as the first in the world distilled clear kerosene from smelly seep oil. The same year he started the oil industry. On July 31, 1853 Łukasiewicz provided light from one of his kerosene lamps to a local hospital for an emergency surgery.
At the beginning of 1854 Łukasiewicz moved to Gorlice and continued his activity. He set up a lot of companies with many entrepreneurs and land owners. In 1854 he founded the first oil well in Poland and in 1856 the first oil distillery.
Ignacy Łukasiewicz died on January 7, 1882 of heavy pneumonia.bg:Игнаци Лукашевич de:Ignacy Łukasiewicz pl:Ignacy Łukasiewicz