Has anyone ever been killed by a meteorite?

Answer 1

Yes. There is at least one documented case of a meteor passing through a human. The individual, who remains nameless, was killed when a meteor passed through his chest. Death was instantaneous.

• 1420 BC Israel - Fatal meteorite impact.
• 588 AD China - 10 deaths; siege towers destroyed.
• 1321-68 China - People & animals killed; homes ruined.
• 1369 Ho-t'ao China - Soldier injured; fire.
• 02/03/1490 Shansi, China - 10,000 deaths.
• 09/14/1511 Cremona, Italy - Monk, birds, & sheep killed.
• 1633-64 Milono, Italy - Monk killed.
• 1639 China - Tens of deaths; 10 homes destroyed.
• 1647-54 Indian ocean - 2 sailors killed aboard a ship.
• 07/24/1790 France - Farmer killed; home destroyed; cattle killed.
• 01/16/1825 Oriang, India - Man killed; woman injured.
• 02/27/1827 Mhow, India - Man injured.
• 12/11/1836 Macao, Brazil - Oxen killed; homes damaged.
• 07/14/1847 Braunau, Bohemia - Home struck by 371 lb meteorite.
• 01/23/1870 Nedagolla, India - Man stunned by meteorite.
• 06/30/1874 Ming Tung li, China - Cottage crushed, child killed.
• 01/14/1879 Newtown, Indiana, USA - Man killed in bed.
• 01/31/1879 Dun-Lepoelier, France - Farmer killed by meteorite.
• 11/19/1881 Grossliebenthal, Russia - Man injured.
• 03/11/1897 West Virginia, USA - Walls pierced, horse killed, man injured.
• 09/05/1907 Weng-li, China - Whole family crushed to death.
• 06/30/1908 Tunguska, Siberia - Fire, 2 people killed. (referenced throughout paper)
• 04/28/1927 Aba, Japan - Girl injured by meteorite.
• 12/08/1929 Zvezvan, Yugoslavia - Meteorite hit bridal party, 1 killed.
• 05/16/1946 Santa Ana, Mexico - Houses destroyed, 28 injured.
• 11/30/1946 Colford, UK - Telephones knocked out, boy injured.
• 11/28/1954 Sylacauga, Alabama, USA - 4 kg meteorite struck home, lady injured.
• 08/14/1992 Mbole, Uganda - 48 stones fell, roofs damaged, boy injured.

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There was a German boy about 2 years ago who was hit in the thumb by a meteor about the size of a pencil eraser. He was only slightly injured.

And a woman lying in bed back in the mid-50's was struck by a rock the size of her fist; she also survived.

Of course, most meteors explode or vaporize passing through the atmosphere; the remains are dust. So if you've ever walked through a cloud of dust, you've probably been hit by a meteor, or at least, by the remains of one.

And there are several unexplained aircraft crashes for which no cause has ever been determined. The chances of an aircraft being destroyed by a meteor are astronomical - however, meteors are themselves "astronomical", and as long as we keep flying and meteors keep falling, eventually a meteor WILL hit an aircraft in flight. It's only a matter of time.

Answer 2

In recorded history, no human has ever been killed by a meteor but there have been a number of cases about people who were nearly struck by it.

One of those few cases-

Ann Hodges, an Alabama housewife, was sleeping on her couch when she was awakened by a 3 pound meteor. It crashed through the roof of her house and bounced off a small piece of furniture. It then hit her in the hip which caused a large bruise. This is said to have happened on November 30, 1954.

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Answer: Yes, certainly. The object that struck northern Canada about 15,000 years ago killed off all the humans on North America, including an pre-indian group called the Clovis People. It also caused the "Younger Dryas" mini-ice age, and was probably responsible for the extinction of the mastodons and mammoths.

See related link for a video of a "possible!!" near miss by a meteorite.

Answer 3

It is impossible to know that. It is far away and meteors are tiny, and last for a very short amount of time, just seconds, so it is impossible to see them at that distance. It would not even be known how many hit Earth, so we would not know how many have hit Mercury or the other planets.

Answer 4

Yes, Mercury is covered in craters from the impacts of "meteors". In fact "meteor" isn't quite the right word. Astronomers usually call objects that reach the surface "meteorites".

Answer 5

Meteors have hit the sun but not meteorites. A meteorite is an object that has survived atmosphere entry and landed on the surface. All meteors that hit the sun are vaporized.

Answer 6

If it's as big as you are, then yes, it most certainly can.

Answer 7

Yes. On average there are about 6 confirmed meteorite falls every year.

Answer 8

My cousin Simon was killed by one when he was mud puppy fishing in a stream in the back 40 near Renfrew

Answer 9

Yes, the whole Earth is always, and will always be impacted by objects from space.

Answer 10

Yes, many have