On a quiet afternoon in 1954, Ann Hodge was doing what any sensible Alabamian would do – taking a nap. Then space decided to wake her up.
An 8.5-pound meteorite smashed through her Sylacauga roof, pinballed off her radio, and slammed into her arm and hip. Three states watched that rock's fiery descent, but only Hodge got the cosmic wake-up call. She lived to tell the tale, walking away with just bruises and one hell of a story.
The town of Sylacauga – already famous for its marble quarries — wasn't about to let this cosmic collision fade into history. When Kentucky sculptor Don Lawler came sniffing around for marble, he got hooked on Hodge's story and created "Falling Star," an abstract monument that now guards City Hall.
Oftentimes when I learn about the history of a monument, I forget about it shortly after. The history behind this particular monument is so fascinating, it feels impossible to forget the story behind it. "It's probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened in this town," says Atlas Obscura about the celestial encounter that put Sylacauga on the map. While the actual meteorite resides at the Alabama Museum of Natural History in Tuscaloosa, its marble monument continues to commemorate the day outer space made an unexpectedly personal visit to an Alabama resident.
Previously:
• A surprise meteorite hit the moon during Monday's total lunar eclipse
• Smog Rings vs. Quisp Meteorite Ring
• Inside the Smithsonian's meteorite lab
• King Tut's dagger was forged from meteorite
• Spherical-cut meteorite on ebay, yours for $18,000
• You'll never guess what the 'Heart of Space' meteorite is shaped like
• Story about eccentric meteorite hunters in search of a Peruvian meteorite
• Meteorite that splashed down in backyard pool may be… something else
