Science eventually won out, bringing explanations for many of these seemingly inexplicable episodes.
Comment: Science won out, and now the victors at Popular Mechanics are busy rewriting the history, eh?
Still others remain unsolved, leaving the affected locals to theorize, and look expectantly to the clouds, for the next meat shower or golf ball storm.
Here we present a list of the 10 craziest things to rain down on humanity from the heavens...
1. Hodges Meteorite Strike
© Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Some reported a large explosion as it crashed to earth. Ann Elizabeth Hodges, though, neither saw nor heard any of it. Instead, as she lay napping in her living room, an 8-pound chunk of the meteorite smashed through her roof, ricocheted off a radio and hit her on the hip.
Thus, Hodges - who received only a bruise from the incident - became the first recorded human to be struck by a meteorite.
Comment: Actually, recorded injuries and even deaths due to a meteorite fall go way back in history. Consider the following examples from Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets: Damages, Disasters, Injuries, Deaths, and Very Close Calls:
616 - Jan. 14 - China - Ten deaths reported in China from meteorite shower; seige towers destroyed
1321- 1368 - O-chia district, China - Iron rain kills people, animals, damages house.
1511 - 14 Sept. - Cremona, Lombardy, Italy - Monk killed with several birds, a sheep.
1881 - 19 Nov. Grosliebenthal, Russia - Man reported injured by meteorite.
1946 - 16 May -Santa Ana, Nuevo Leon - Meteorite destroys many houses, injures 28
2. Past and Future Fish Falls at Great Yarmouth
© Fox Photos/Getty Images
It cites "atmospheric stability" and Great Yarmouth's location on the North Sea as contributing factors to its ranking.
Cool air from the sea converges with the warmer air on shore, sometimes causing the "mini tornadoes" that draw fish and other sea creatures out of the water and into storm clouds.
In 2002, Great Yarmouth experienced a downpour of tiny silver fish, all dead, but still fresh.
3. Tri-State Mud Fall
© Arctic-Images
The event lasted only a few minutes but generated much attention.
Writing from Penn Yan, in the Finger Lakes region of New York, a Times correspondent described the strange event: "People who were on the street were covered with mud spots, clothes hanging on the lines were smeared."
The Rev. George P. Sewell, of Aurora, N.Y., wrote that the storm front was 40 miles across, adding that it "discolored or soiled everything exposed to it."
4. The Kentucky Meat Shower
© Unknown
A correspondent for the Louisville Commercial reported that "two gentlemen who tasted the meat expressed the opinion that it was either mutton or venison." Subsequent analysis by scientists showed it probably was the former.
Dr. L.D. Kastenbine, a professor of chemistry, wrote in the Louisville Medical News in 1876 that the "only plausible theory" was "the disgorgement of some vultures that were sailing over the spot."
5. Rubles Rain Over Russia
© David Toase
Archaeologists who analyzed the aged currency supposed that it was from an undiscovered, buried trove that recently had been exposed by soil erosion before being scooped up and redeposited by the storm.
6. Lalain Toad Fall
© David Maitland
As the soldiers sought shelter from the storm, they were no doubt surprised to find that, in addition to the raindrops, the sky was also full of falling toads.
Closer inspection revealed that many of the toads, a great number of which were discovered in the folds and creases of the men's hats and uniforms, still possessed tails.
Toad falls, along with fish falls, are surprisingly common, and have an accepted scientific explanation.
As a violent storm passes over a body of water, waterspouts spring up and lift the animals into the clouds, which then drop them farther along the storm's path.
7. Lake County Candy Shower
© Medioimages/Photodisc
According to the History of Napa and Lake Counties, published in 1881, "Syrup was made of it by some lady residents of the section." No cause was discovered and no explanation was ever provided, but the tome did conclude, "If this is a canard, it is surely a sweet one."
8. World's Largest Meteorite
© Unknown
Witnesses reported seeing a red fireball, which exploded and split in three before crashing to the ground.
Investigations of the impact site revealed 11 large masses weighing a total of 4 metric tons.
The so-called Meteorite 1, now on display at the Jilin Meteorite Museum in Jilin City, is the largest stone meteorite found in recent times.
9. San Luis Obispo Bird Fall
© Medioimages/Photodisc
On the morning of Nov. 24, he found hundreds of dead blackbirds and pigeons lying in the town's downtown area, and for two days the denizens of San Luis Obispo witnessed intermittent showers of dead birds.
The California Department of Fish and Game speculated the birds were somehow poisoned, and later, California Polytechnic University admitted to setting out poison grains in a field near San Luis Obispo, in an attempt to control the bird population.
Between 400 and 600 birds died as a result.
Comment: What an interesting coincidence, because recently, there were several similar mass blackbird deaths, with quite disturbing and cosmic in origin explanation.
10. Golf Balls Over Florida
© Roine Magnusson
The St. Petersburg Times reported that "dozens and dozens and dozens" of golf balls fell from the sky, though no explanation was ever given. Located on Florida's western Gulf coast, Punta Gorda regularly experiences severe weather, which often causes waterspouts.
The region is also home to many golf courses, so a logical explanation might be that a passing storm sipped up a ball-filled pond, then dropped its catch on the town.
Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com
"The region is also home to many golf courses, so a logical explanation might be that a passing storm sipped up a ball-filled pond, then dropped its catch on the town"......from popularmechanics!
Yeah this one surely rings true after all aint seen nothing about golfers tee-ing off with golfball sized hail stones!!
OR..."Archaeologists who analyzed the aged currency supposed that it was from an undiscovered, buried trove that recently had been exposed by soil erosion before being scooped up and redeposited by the storm".
Could have been an alien ship having a clear out of trophy/junk - maybe they figured out that payin fo gas with this currency didnt go far enough.
LASTLY..."Dr. L.D. Kastenbine, a professor of chemistry, wrote in the Louisville Medical News in 1876 that the "only plausible theory" was "the disgorgement of some vultures that were sailing over the spot."
The pic shows egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus which for the sake of the article might be forgiveable but flakes of meat from vultures? wow that really takes the grist!
Being that vultures rip the skin and viscera from carcases and gulp lumps of it down their throats and subsequently being ejected is far closer to bulky vomit than "fancy flakes of meat".