The Sylacauga Meteorite
A woman resting on her sofa was woken by a rock from space that came through the roof.
What was reported
On the afternoon of 30 November 1954, people across Alabama saw a bright fireball. Moments later, in a house in Oak Grove, a stone about the size of a grapefruit smashed through the roof, bounced off a radio and struck Ann Hodges, who was resting on the sofa under a quilt.
She was left with a large bruise on her hip, and a crowd gathered outside. Air Force officers took the stone for examination, and a dispute followed over who owned it: Hodges, or her landlady.
Explanations offered
It was a stony meteorite of about 4 kg, and it's the first well-documented case of a meteorite striking a person. Hodges eventually kept it and gave it to the Alabama Museum of Natural History, where it's still on show.
- When
- 30 November 1954
- Where
- Oak Grove, near Sylacauga, Alabama, USA
- Witnesses
- Ann Hodges, her mother and neighbours
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.