By: HISTORY.com Editors

1954

Meteorite strikes Alabama woman

Published: February 09, 2010Last Updated: May 28, 2025

The first modern instance of a meteorite striking a human being occurs at Sylacauga, Alabama, when a meteorite crashes through the roof of a house and into a living room, bounces off a radio, and strikes a woman on the hip. The victim, Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges, was sleeping on a couch at the time of impact. The space rock was a sulfide meteorite weighing 8.5 pounds and measuring seven inches in length. Mrs. Hodges was not permanently injured but suffered a nasty bruise along her hip and leg.

Ancient Chinese records tell of people being injured or killed by falling meteorites, but the Sylacauga meteorite was the first modern record of this type of human injury. In 1911, a dog in Egypt was killed by the Nakhla meteorite.

5 of the Most Significant Impact Craters in North America

Meteors, comets and asteroids have slammed into the Earth with a force many times greater than the most powerful nuclear bombs.

By: Dave Roos

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on November 30th

1609

Galileo begins observing the moon

Galileo Galilei first begins observing the moon with his telescope on November 30, 1609. He discovers that the surface of the moon is not smooth, as previously thought, but full of mountains and valleys, like Earth. Galileo was an Italian astronomer and physicist. In 1609, he constructed his own telescope to observe the heavens. Dutch […]

1:56m read

1835

Mark Twain is born

Samuel Clemens, later known as Mark Twain, is born in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835. Clemens was apprenticed to a printer at age 13 and later worked for his older brother, who established the Hannibal Journal. In 1857, the Keokuk Daily Post commissioned him to write a series of comic travel letters, but after […]

2:02m read

1864

Battle of Franklin, Tennessee

On November 30, 1864, the once proud Confederate Army of Tennessee suffers a devastating defeat after its commander, General John Bell Hood, orders a frontal assault on strong Union positions around Franklin, Tennessee. The loss cost Hood six of his finest generals and nearly a third of his force. Hood assumed command in late July […]

2:50m read

1874

Winston Churchill born

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, the British leader who guided Great Britain and the Allies through the crisis of World War II, is born at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England. Churchill came from a prestigious family with a long history of military service and joined the British Fourth Hussars upon his father’s death in 1895. During […]

1876

First Thanksgiving college football game played

On November 30, 1876, Yale defeats Princeton, 2-0, in Hoboken, New Jersey in the first collegiate football game played on Thanksgiving. Nearly 1,000 fans attend the game, played in cold, rainy weather. “The friends of both colleges mustered in good force,” the New York Times reports. “Several carriages containing ladies were on the ground, and […]

1:38m read

1886

Folies Bergère stages first revue

The Folies Bergère—a hall for operettas, pantomime, political meetings, and vaudeville—opens in Paris and becomes the city's premier nightlife spot.

2:04m read

1939

U.S.S.R. attacks Finland

On November 30, 1939, the Red Army crosses the Soviet-Finnish border with 465,000 men and 1,000 aircraft. Helsinki was bombed, and 61 Finns were killed in an air raid that steeled the Finns for resistance, not capitulation. The overwhelming forces arrayed against Finland convinced most Western nations, as well as the Soviets themselves, that the […]

1:12m read

1950

President Truman refuses to rule out atomic weapons

On November 30, 1950, President Harry S. Truman announces during a press conference that he is prepared to authorize the use of atomic weapons in order to achieve peace in Korea. At the time of Truman’s announcement, communist China had joined North Korean forces in their attacks on United Nations troops, including U.S. soldiers, who […]

1965

Ralph Nader’s “Unsafe at Any Speed” hits bookstores

On November 30, 1965, 32-year-old lawyer Ralph Nader publishes the muckraking book Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile. The book became a best-seller right away. It also prompted the passage of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, seat-belt laws in 49 states (all but New Hampshire) […]

1974

“Elton John’s Greatest Hits” reaches #1

On November 30, 1974, Elton John’s Greatest Hits began a 10-week run atop the Billboard 200 pop album chart on its way to selling more than 24 million copies worldwide. Elton John was born and raised as Reginald Dwight in suburban London, and if you’d rearranged his DNA or his childhood environment just a bit, […]

2:12m read

1981

The United States and U.S.S.R. open talks to reduce intermediate-range nuclear forces

Representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union open talks to reduce their intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) in Europe. The talks lasted until December 17, but ended inconclusively. SALT I (1972) and SALT II (1979) reduced the number of strategic nuclear weapons held by the two superpowers, but left unresolved the issue of the […]

2:02m read

1989

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos strikes in Florida

On November 30, 1989, Florida storeowner Richard Mallory is last seen with serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Mallory became the first of seven victims that Wuornos murdered within the course of a year.

2:04m read

1993

Brady Bill signed into law

During a White House ceremony attended by James S. Brady, President Bill Clinton signs the Brady handgun-control bill into law. The law requires a prospective handgun buyer to wait five business days while the authorities check on his or her background, during which time the sale is approved or prohibited based on an established set […]

1:16m read

2004

“Jeopardy!” contestant’s record winning streak ends

On November 30, 2004, after winning 74 straight games and more than $2.5 million—a record for U.S. game shows—Jeopardy! contestant Ken Jennings loses. Jennings’ extended winning streak gave the game show a huge ratings boost and turned the software engineer from Salt Lake City, Utah into a TV hero and household name. Barbara Walters named […]

2:22m read

2022

ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot, is released

OpenAI launched its generative AI chatbot in November 2022.

Natural Disasters & Environment

29 videos

Natural Disasters & Environment

Why the Date of Pompeii’s Destruction Is Still Debated

Archaeological discoveries have raised questions about whether Mount Vesuvius erupted in the summer or autumn of A.D. 79.

Natural Disasters & Environment

What Caused Siberia’s Mysterious Tunguska Event?

Experts suspect the massive event that flattened forests was caused by an exploding asteroid. Could it happen again?

Natural Disasters & Environment

The 1870s ‘Super El Niño’ That Killed Millions

A powerful El Niño triggered devastating droughts and famines around the world, leaving millions dead.

About the author

HISTORY.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Christian Zapata, Cristiana Lombardo and Adrienne Donica.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.