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Housewife-Whacking Meteor Fell Here

Field review by the editors.

Oak Grove, Alabama

A historical marker stands in Oak Grove near the spot where 34-year-old Ann Hodges became the only known person to have been hit by a meteorite (Other claims of similar encounters have never been verified). Ann was taking a nap in the early afternoon of November 30, 1954, when an 8.5-pound meteorite crashed through the roof of her house and landed on her hip. She survived without much apparent damage, but the stress of subsequent fame led to a nervous breakdown and divorce. She died an invalid in 1972.

The meteorite ended up in a Tuscaloosa museum and the house, uncelebrated in its lifetime, burned down in October 1998. Oak Grove seemed inclined to forget the whole thing -- until June 2009, when the neighboring city of Sylacauga unveiled a marble monument to the meteorite. Spurred to action, Oak Grove unveiled its historical marker less than a year later, around the corner from the house site, on Old Birmingham Highway where lots of people would be sure to see it.

Housewife-Whacking Meteor Fell Here

Address:
Old Birmingham Hwy, Oak Grove, AL
Directions:
From US Hwy 231 turn east at the Shell station onto Hwy 511. Drive three-quarters of a mile. You'll see the historical marker on the right. If you want to see the house site, make the first right after the marker onto Odens Mill Rd. The site is a quarter-mile on the right, currently occupied by two house trailers.
Admission:
Free
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Nearby Offbeat Places

Gravity HillGravity Hill, Sylacauga, AL - 1 mi.
Monument To The Housewife-Whacking MeteoriteMonument To The Housewife-Whacking Meteorite, Sylacauga, AL - 3 mi.
Majestic CavernsMajestic Caverns, Childersburg, AL - 8 mi.
In the region:
Lady in the Lake, Birmingham, AL - 30 mi.

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