The Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989, spilling nearly 42 million liters of crude oil. The spill contaminated over 1,300 miles of shoreline and killed thousands of sea otters, birds, and other wildlife. It was one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history and caused widespread environmental and economic damage to the region. The spill highlighted the need for improved oil tanker safety regulations and oil spill response plans.