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Events on Wednesday 7 August 1996 1
1996NASA Announces Possible Fossil Life in Mars MeteoriteALH84001 sparks debate over ancient Martian microbesNASA scientists announced that the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite, found in Antarctica and believed to originate from Mars, contained structures resembling fossilized microorganisms. The claim triggered intense scientific debate and briefly renewed public fascination with the search for extraterrestrial life. Subsequent research cast doubt on a biological origin for the structures.