The 1973 and 1979 oil crises were two major shocks that exposed how vulnerable the U.S. was to Middle East disruptions and foreign oil dependence. The first began in October 1973, when Arab oil producers embargoed the U.S. and other countries supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War, sending crude prices from about $3 to nearly $12 a barrel, causing gas shortages, long station lines, odd-even rationing, and the national 55 mph speed limit. The second hit in 1979 after the Iranian Revolution disrupted oil production, pushing prices even higher, bringing back gas lines and rationing, and deepening stagflation into the early 1980s. Together, the two crises reshaped U.S. energy policy, driving conservation efforts, the creation of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, tougher fuel efficiency standards, and a broader push for greater energy security.