What quality separates the Sulaymaniyah 1888 claim from the Ann Hodges 1954 event scientifically?

Lack of modern, independent forensic verification

The key scientific distinction between the cited 1888 fatality in Sulaymaniyah and the 1954 survival event involving Ann Hodges lies in the evidentiary standards applied to each. The Sulaymaniyah event, while frequently mentioned as the oldest potential fatality, rests primarily on historical reports from the 19th century, which naturally lack the high level of independent verification and detailed forensic analysis that modern science demands. In contrast, the Ann Hodges strike is considered the benchmark because it is a modern, witnessed event where the injuries were immediately treated and released from a hospital, and the meteorite itself underwent subsequent analysis, placing it firmly within the category of contemporary, substantiated incidents.