TIL in 1954, Ann Hodges was struck by a meteorite that crashed through her ceiling. A piece of it was found by a farmer who sold it & bought *a house & a car*. Ownership was disputed & she was unable to sell it, despite paying $500 to the other claimant & she ended up donating it to a museum.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by Ihavepurpleshoes t3_z8z28u in todayilearned
lego_office_worker t1_iye71me wrote
meteorites are a windfall, id love to find one. but preferably not through the roof of my house
>The meteorite was confiscated by the Sylacauga police chief, who then turned it over to the United States Air Force.[11] Both the Hodgeses and their landlord, Bertie Guy, claimed ownership of the rock, Guy's claim being that it had fallen on her property.[11] The Hodgeses and Guy settled, with the Hodgeses paying $500 for the rock.[11] However, by the time it was returned to the Hodgeses, over a year later, public attention had diminished, and they were unable to then find a buyer.[11][12]
>Ann Hodges was uncomfortable with the public attention and the stress of the dispute over ownership of the meteorite.[13] The Hodgeses donated it to the Alabama Museum of Natural History in 1956.[11]
>The day after the fall, local farmer Julius McKinney came upon the second-largest fragment from the same meteorite.[14] An Indianapolis-based lawyer bought it for the Smithsonian Institution.[14] The McKinney family was able to use the money to buy a car and a house.[14]
to clarify OPs confusing title