Last April Norwegian explorer DNO hit pay dirt--330 million barrels in the Tawke field.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The rover hit pay dirt early, landing inside a shallow crater ringed in layered rock outcroppings.

CNN: Mars rovers working overtime

In 1976, Miller hit pay dirt by winning the players' free agency.

FORBES: Magazine Article

He drilled the well only another 5, 000 feet and hit pay dirt.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Last summer her team hit pay dirt: They found a tiny alteration of just four chemical beads, or "letters, " in the 35, 000-letter-long Flap gene.

FORBES: Attacking Heart Attacks

Our nation grew rich (in myriad ways) because risk takers hit pay dirt, others saw what they did, grew envious, and attempted to do the same thing.

FORBES: Fostering Entrepreneurship at John Doerr's Home

For our inaugural Google Search Watch post, we analyzed credit card-related searches, and found that MasterCard seems to have hit pay dirt with its new MarketPlace site.

FORBES: Google Search Watch: MasterCard Shopping Site Takes Off

Former pop music chart-toppers Jennifer Lopez, Paula Abdul, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera seem to have hit pay dirt by morphing themselves into judges on television talent competitions.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

But eventually I hit pay dirt.

CNN: Opinion: Difficult to become a hacker? It's easier than you think