The Ann Hodges meteorite broke through an Alabama roof in 1954, bounced off a radio and struck her on a couch. Read the documented account of her survival.
On November 30, 1954, Ann Hodges was resting on a couch in Sylacauga, Alabama, when a meteorite broke through the roof, struck a wooden console radio and hit her. She survived with severe bruising. [1] [2]
NASA describes the object as an eight-pound, or 3.6-kilogram, stony meteorite. Its account identifies the incident as the first documented injury from an extraterrestrial object in the United States. That precise wording matters: a documented strike is different from an unconfirmed report. [1]
Ann Hodges meteorite: What followed the impact
The falling rock drew attention far beyond the house. A museum-hosted historical account describes crowds gathering at the property and the meteorite being taken into Air Force custody for examination. Once its identity was established, attention turned to who would keep it. [3]
Hodges and her husband rented their home. Their landlady, Birdie Guy, also claimed the object. The museum-hosted account records an out-of-court settlement in which Guy relinquished her claim for $500. The meteorite had become a disputed possession as well as evidence of an extraordinary event. [3]
A short timeline
- November 30, 1954: Hodges is struck in her home and survives the impact.
- After the strike: The fragment is examined and becomes the subject of an ownership dispute.
- 1956: The University of Alabama museum collection acquires the Sylacauga-Hodges Meteorite.
From incident to museum specimen
The University of Alabama’s geology collection dates its acquisition to 1956, nearly two years after the strike. Its collection account identifies the specimen as the Sylacauga-Hodges Meteorite and places it in the Alabama Museum of Natural History in Smith Hall. [4]
The rock also has a scientific history beyond its unusual encounter with a person. A museum report published in 2021 describes analysis by University of Alabama researcher Julia Cartwright, showing that the specimen continued to support research decades after the event. [2]
A meteor is the luminous event seen during atmospheric entry; a meteorite is surviving material that reaches the ground. In this case, investigators had a physical specimen to examine. The museum record gives the story a traceable destination after the initial headlines. [1]
Sources and reporting
Researched reporting based on the records below. The ownership dispute is attributed to the museum-hosted historical account; the acquisition date comes from the university collection.
