The Sylacauga meteorite is the first documented extraterrestrial object to have injured a human being

Commonly called the Hodges meteorite because a fragment of it struck Ann Elizabeth Hodges, the grapefruit-sized object crashed through the roof of a farm house near Sylacauga, Georgia on November 30, 1954, bounced off a large wooden console radio, and hit Hodges while she napped on a couch. The 34-year-old woman was badly bruised on one side of her body but able to walk. The event received worldwide publicity and a “custody” battle ensued as to the ownership of the meteorite. The US Air Force initially retrieved it, but then the farmhouse owner claimed ownership because it fell on their property (the Hodgeses were only renting the farmhouse). The Hodges eventually prevailed and ended up donating the meteorite fragment to a museum when they were unable to find a buyer for it.

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