Living Proof of Extraterrestrial Impact: Ann Hodges, the Lone Survivor of a Meteorite Strike
In a world where the chances of being struck by a tornado, lightning, and a hurricane all at the same time are higher than the chances of being struck by a meteorite, it's fascinating to delve into the world of cosmic events that have impacted our planet and its inhabitants.
One such event, the only confirmed case of a person being killed by a meteorite, occurred in 1888 in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Historians found Ottoman-Turkish letters describing a meteor fall that not only damaged crops but also claimed the life of one man and left another paralyzed[1][2].
Fast forward to 1954, in a stark contrast to the tragic event in Iraq, a woman named Ann Hodges from Oak Grove, Alabama, became the only confirmed person to have been struck by a meteorite and survived. As she was napping on her couch, a grapefruit-sized meteorite crashed into her home, splitting in half before it hit her, striking her on her upper hip[2][3].
The meteorite fragments were discovered by Julius Kempis McKinney, a farmer, and another half was found by McKinney and sold to an attorney who bought it on behalf of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C[2]. The remaining portion of the meteorite that struck Ann Hodges is still at the Alabama Museum of Natural History to this day.
Interestingly, before Ann Hodges's encounter, people in the area had reported seeing a bright light trailing through the sky[2]. The incident was documented by NASA, adding credibility to the confirmation of Ann Hodges's encounter.
However, not all reported incidents of people being hit by meteorites have been officially confirmed. For instance, a boy in Uganda was reportedly hit on the head by a meteorite in 1992, but it has not been officially verified[2]. Similarly, a claim of a man being killed by a meteorite in India in 2016 was later disputed and not confirmed after NASA's investigation[2].
The documentation by NASA supports the confirmation of Ann Hodges's encounter as the only confirmed impact of a meteorite with a human. However, it's important to note that while the chances of a person being struck by a meteorite are small, they are not zero.
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1166-3 [2] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-says-no-meteorite-struck-indian-man-in-2016 [3] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-ann-hodges-meteorite-47740965/
- The world of space research has shed light on historical cosmic events that have impacted our planet and its inhabitants, such as the confirmed case of Ann Hodges in 1954, who was struck by a meteorite while napping and survived.
- Science and health-and-wellness communities have been intrigued by Ann Hodges's encounter, as it remains the only officially confirmed incident of a person being struck by a meteorite and surviving.
- Despite the rare event of a person being struck by a meteorite, space-and-astronomy research continues to explore, document, and confirm such incidents, contributing to our understanding of the cosmos and its potential impact on human health and wellness.
