Chronology of Earth Impacts

Copyright © 2010-2024 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: ken@kpolsson.com
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URL: http://kpolsson.com/impact/

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.


1902

July 1
  • A fireball is observed over Saint Petersburg, Russia, crashing on to the shore of Ladoga Lake in region of Marialachti Bay. Pallasite-type fragments are distributed over 50m radius, largest found is 22.7kg. [526.119]
November 15
  • A meteorite falls to earth, landing in Sharpsburg, Kentucky, USA. The main piece weighs 181 pounds. [416.89]

1904

May 9
  • A fireball is seen over Teleutskoye Lake area of Russia, visible over 455,000 km2 area, creating a ground shock and meteorite shower. [526.195]

1906

November 4
  • In Diep River, South Africa, a building is struck by a falling meteorite. [521]

1907

August 20
  • Crew of the steamship Cambrian, several hundred miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland, observe a fireball rushing across the sky "like a rocket", landing in the sea about 50 yards from the boat. [521]
September 5
  • In Hsin-p'ai Wei, Weng-Li, China, a meteorite fall crushes a whole family to death. [521]
December 7
  • In Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA, a falling meteorite starts a fire, destroying a house. [521]

1908

June 30
  • A bright fireball is seen shooting over Vanavara on the Stony Tunguska River in central Siberia, Russia, exploding 5-10km above the forest, knocking trees flat over 2150km2 area, burning an area 1000km2, sucking ash 20km into the atmosphere, incinerating many herds of reindeer and killing a few people. The explosion is heard 1000km away. The object, likely a comet or asteroid fragment, is estimated to have been 1-5 tons, 156m diameter. [1] [521] [523.183] [526.3]

1909

May 29
  • In Shepard, Texas, USA a meteorite drops through a house. [521]

1910

April 27
  • A giant meteor bursts over Mexico, falls in mountains, starts forest fire. [521]
(month unknown)
  • A 16kg carbonaceous chondrite meteorite (type CV) falls at Vigarano in Italy. [523.91]

1911

June 16
  • In Kilbourn, Wisconsin, USA a meteorite strikes a barn. [521]
June 28
  • A series of loud bangs are heard over Alexandria, Egypt, as about 40 pieces of a meteorite fall totalling 40kg, one kills a dog. The meteorite is named Nakhla for the village of El Nakhla El Baharia. (70 years later it is shown to be from Mars.) [521] [523.106]

1912

  • A meteorite is found at Adelie Land, 32km west of Cape Denison, Antarctica, first meteorite found on the continent. [523.55]
July 19
  • In Holbrook, Arizona, USA 14,000 meteorite stones fall; no injuries reported. [521]

1914

January 9
  • A meteor explosion in Western France breaks windows. [521]

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November 22
  • In Batavia, New York, falling meteorites damage a farm. [521]

1916

January 18
  • In Baxter, Missouri, a falling meteorite strikes a building. [521]

1917

December 3
  • In Strathmore, Scotland, a falling meteorite strikes a building. [521]

1918

June 30
  • In Richardton, North Dakota, USA, a chondrite meteorite falls striking a building. (It is later found to have sufficient isotope xenon-129 to indicate origin in a supernova before birth of Solar System, 4560 million years ago.) [521] [523.122]

1919

  • The Cumberland Falls cubrite meteorite falls in Kentucky, USA. [523.104]

1920

  • An iron meteorite weighing about 60 tons is found near Groot Fontein in Namibia, the largest meteorite ever found. [523]

1921

July 15
  • In Berkshire Hills, Massachusetts, USA a falling meteor starts a fire. [521]
December 21
  • In Beirut, Syria, a building is hit by a falling meteorite. [521]

1922

February 2
  • In Baldwyn, Mississippi, USA, a meteorite falls harmlessly to the earth. [521]
April 24
  • In Barnegat, New Jersey, USA an overhead explosion of comet fragment rocks buildings, shatters windows, and releases clouds of noxious gas. [521]
May 30
  • In Nagai, Japan, a meteorite falls harmlessly to the ground. [521]
(month unknown)
  • A stony meteorite shower takes place at Tsarev, Russia. [526.xix]
December 6
  • A rain of stony meteorites occurs in Tsarev, Russia, dispersed over 65km2, estimated 1300kg site, 80 recovered meteorites, ranging 50 grams to 284kg. [526.156]

1924

  • The Johnstown achondrite diogenite meteorite falls in Colorado, USA. [523.103]
July 6
  • In Johnstown, Colorado, USA, a meteorite falls harmlessly to the ground. [521]

1929

December 8
  • In Zvezvan, Yugoslavia, a falling meteorite kills one person in a bridal party. [521]

1930

August 13
  • In Brazil, the "Rio Curaca event", a bolide explosion in mid-air, producing fire and "depopulation". Prior to explosion was "an ear-piercing whistling sound", the sun appeared to be "blood-red", and a fall of fine ash which covered the surrounding vegetation with a blanket of white. [521]
September 13
  • A fireball plunges into the sea near Eureka, California. [521]
November
  • Over 40kg of chondrite meteorites (type CK) fall at Karoonda in Southern Australia. [523.91]

1931

July 10
  • In Malinta, Ohio, USA an overhead cometary fragment explosion occurs, producing a crater, a smell of sulfur, windows broken in a farmhouse, and four telephone poles snapped. [521]
September 8
  • In Hagerstown, Maryland, USA a meteorite crashes through a roof. [521]

1932

August 4
  • In Sao Christovao, Brazil, a meteorite fall destroys a warehouse roof. [521]
August 10
  • In Archie, Missouri, USA a falling meteoroid strikes a homestead; no injuries. [521]

1933

February 24
  • In Stratford, Texas, a bright fireball is seen in the sky, falling as a 4-pound metallic meteorite. [521]
August 8
  • In Sioux County, Nebraska, USA a meteorite falls harmlessly to the ground. [521]

1934

February 16
  • Over Texas, USA, a pilot swerves to avoid crashing with a fireball. [521]
February 18
  • In Seville, Spain, a house is struck by a falling meteorite and burns. [521]
(month unknown)
  • The Rumuruti meteorite falls in Kenya. [523.93]
September 28
  • Over California, USA, a pilot escapes a fireball shower. [521]

1935

August 11
  • In Briggsdale, Colorado, USA a meteorite falls harmlessly to the ground. [521]
December 11
  • In British Guyana, close to Marudi Mountain, a large meteoroid or small asteroid likely explodes in mid-air, creating an elongated area over 32km long of destroyed forest. [521]

1936

March 14
  • In Red Bank, New Jersey, USA, a meteorite crashes through a shed roof. [521]
April 2
  • In Yurtuk, USSR, a building is struck by a falling meteorite. [521]
October 19
  • In Newfoundland, a fisherman's boat is set on fire by a meteorite strike. [521]

1938

March 31
  • In Kasamatsu, Japan, a meteorite pierces the roof of a ship. [521]
June 16
  • In Pantar, Phillipines, several buildings are struck by falling meteorites. [521]
June 24
  • In Chicora, Pennsylvania, USA, a cow is struck and injured by a 450-ton falling meteorite. [5] [521]
(month unknown)
  • The Ivuna carbonaceous chondrite meteorite (type CI1) falls in Tanzania. [523.90]
September 29
  • In Benld, Illinois, a garage and car are struck by a 4-pound meteorite. [521]

1941

July 10
  • In Black Moshannon Park, Pennsylvania, USA, a meteorite falls to the ground without causing harm or damage. [521]

1942

April 6
  • In Pollen, Norway, a meteorite falls to the ground without causing harm or damage. [521]
(month unknown)
  • The Kapoeta meteorite falls in Sudan. [523.103]

1943

June 20
  • New Québec (Chubb) Crater (3.5 km diameter) discovered in northern Québec, Canada. [1]

1946

May 16
  • In Santa Ana, Nuevo Leon, a meteorite destroys many houses, injuring 28 people. [521]
November 30
  • In Colford, Gloucestershire, UK, a meteorite fall knocks out telephones service, and knocks a boy off his bicycle. [521]

1947

February 12
  • In Sikhote Alin, Vladivostok, Russia, an iron meteor of estimated weight 70-300 tons breaks up about 4.5km above the earth and rains iron meteorites, producing about 200 craters up to 26.6m in diameter and 6m deep, over an area 12km by 4km. A total of 8000 iron meteorites weighing 28-29 tons are recovered. The meteor is projected to ave originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. [1] [521] [523.33] [526.xix,58]

1949

September 21
  • In Beddgelert, Wales, a meteorite strikes a building. [521]
November 20
  • In Kochi, Japan, a hot meteoritic stone enters a house through a window. [521]

1950

May 23
  • In Madhipura, India, a building is struck by a falling meteorite. [521]
September 20
  • In Murray, Kentucky, USA, several buildings are struck by falling meteorites. [521]
December 10
  • In Saint Louis, Missouri, USA a falling meteorite strikes a car. [521]

1953

March 3
  • In Pecklesheim, Federal Republic of Germany, a meteorite falls harmlessly to the ground. [521]
(month unknown)
  • The Abee enstatife meteorite falls in Canada. [523.92]

1954

January 7
  • In Dieppe, France, a meteorite explodes, smashing windows of a building. [521]
November 28
  • In Sylacauga, Alabama, USA a woman is struck by a 4kg meteorite that crashed through the roof of a house. [521]
November 30
  • First meteorite (8 pounds) known to strike a woman (Liz Hodges in Sylacauga, Alabama, USA). [1]

1955

January 17
  • In Kirkland, Washington, USA two iron meteorites break through an amateur astronomer's observatory dome; one sets a fire. [521]
November 3
  • Alabama woman bruised by a meteor. [1]

1956

February 29
  • In Centerville, South Dakota, USA a building is hit by a falling meteorite. [521]

1959

April 17
  • A bright fireball is photographed by a synchronized network of cameras over Czechoslovakia, breaking up into about 19 pieces, with four recovered near Pribram. The photos allow determination of the asteroid belt as place of origin. [523]
October 13
  • In Hamlet, Indiana, USA a building is hit by a falling meteorite. [521]

End of 1902-1959. Next: 1960.

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A list of references to all source material is available.


Last updated: 2023 December 20.
Copyright © 2010-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/impact/
Link to Ken P's home page.

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