On November 12, 1799, Andrew Ellicott, an early American
astronomer, witnessed the Leonids meteor shower from
a ship off the Florida Keys. Ellicott wrote in his journal
that the “whole heaven appeared as if illuminated with
sky rockets, flying in an infinity of directions, and I was
in constant expectation of some of them falling on the
vessel.

They continued until put out by the light of the sun after
day break.” Ellicott’s journal entry is the first known record
of a meteor shower in North America.