While many other writers--including Discover's own Keith Kloor and Tom Yulsman--have posted updates on the meteor that exploded over Russia, injuring up to 1,000 people, I was reminded of the first (and so far, only) serious meteorite injury in the United States.
The Hodges Meteorite, the only space rock ever to injure someone in the United States.(Credit: Photo by Beverly Crider) On November 30, 1954, Ann Elizabeth Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama, was struck on the hip while sleeping on her sofa. A meteorite had crashed through the roof, bounced off an old-fashioned Philco console radio, and hit her in the abdomen, causing a serious bruise. The meteorite is now commonly known as the Hodges Meteorite in her honor, although it's one that she undoubtedly would have been just as happy to do without. Hodges was left with lifelong injuries as a result. The Decatur Daily News has a good, detailed ...
