American National Biography. Second, she wanted to prove that women were capable of traveling just as well asif not better thanmen. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days,. How many siblings did Warren G. Harding have? Her plan was to graduate and find a position as a teacher. "Pink," as she was known in childhood, was the youngest of 13 (or 15, according . [26], Back in reporting, she covered the Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913 for the New York Evening Journal. How many siblings does Katherine Johnson have? Pace, Lawson. How many children did Laura Ingalls Wilder have? Cochran's Mills, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Burrell Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story, An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster, "She went undercover to expose an insane asylum's horrors. Bly's future began to look brighter in the early 1880s, when, at the age of 18, she submitted a racy response to an editorial piece that had been published in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. Her work, which was later reprinted as a book titled Ten Days in a Mad House spurred a large-scale investigation of the institution as well as the much-needed improvements in health care. [29][30] During her travels around the world, Bly went through England, France (where she met Jules Verne in Amiens), Brindisi, the Suez Canal, Colombo (in Ceylon), the Straits Settlements of Penang and Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. National Women's History Museum. [40], On January 27, 1922, Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital, New York City, aged 57. In her later years, Bly returned to journalism, covering World War I from Europe and continuing to shed light on major issues that impacted women. The second-season episode "New York City" featured her undercover exploits in the Blackwell's Island asylum,[58] while the third-season episode "Journalism" retold the story of her race around the world against Elizabeth Bisland.[59]. [22], Committed to the asylum, Bly experienced the deplorable conditions firsthand. Bly accomplished her goal with days to spare, and, as with her experience in the asylum, her report became a book, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days (1890). Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. Does Nellie have any. A number of positive changes were made after the release of the book. As was the trend then, women writers wrote under pen names. What was nellie blys favorite color? Kroeger, Brooke. She also interviewed and wrote pieces on several prominent figures of the time, including Emma Goldman and Susan B. Anthony. However, after only a year and a half, Elizabeth ran out of money and could no longer afford the tuition. [14] Her second article, "Mad Marriages", was about how divorce affected women. She also became renowned for her investigative and undercover reporting, including posing as a sweatshop worker to expose poor working conditions faced by women. She challenged the stereotypical assumption that women could not travel without many suitcases, outfit changes, and vanity items. Following her superlative success with the Blackwell expose, she continued with her investigative series of work, exposing improper treatment in New York jails and factories, corruption in state legislature and so on. Nellie Bly, pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane, also spelled Cochran, (born May 5, 1864, Cochran's Mills, Pennsylvania, U.S.died January 27, 1922, New York, New York), American journalist whose around-the-world race against a fictional record brought her world renown. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nellie-bly-9296.php. Led by New York Assistant District Attorney Vernon M. Davis, with Bly assisting, the asylum investigation resulted in significant changes in New York City's Department of Public Charities and Corrections (later split into separate agencies). 1890. One can only speculate what further triumphs and good deeds this remarkable woman might have achieved if only she lived a few years longer. The Historic New Orleans Collection, acc. Her reporting introduced readers to the horrors of insane asylums and to international travel. Cochrans editor chose the name Nelly Bly from a Stephen Foster song. At 15, Bly enrolled at the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The newspapers editor, George A. Madden, was so impressed with the letter that he published a note asking the Lonely Orphan Girl to reveal her name. Nellie Bly was born on May 5, 1864 (age 57) in Burrell, Pennsylvania, United States She is a celebrity journalist She also interviewed influential and controversial figures, including Emma Goldman in 1893. Her reporting not only raised awareness about mental health treatment and led to improvements in institutional conditions, it also ushered in an age of investigative journalism. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nellie-Bly, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Nellie Bly, Social Welfare History Project - Biography of Nellie Bly, The MY HERO Project - Biography of Nellie Bly, National Women's History Museum - Biography of Nellie Bly, Nellie Bly - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Nellie Blys Book: Around the World in Seventy-two Days. "Nellie Bly." With an attempt to break the faux record of the character of Phileas Fogg, Bly began her 24, 899 mile journey on November 14, 1889, boarding the Augusta Victoria. Her world tour made her a celebrity. The young, intrepid reporter who graced the pages of the New York World at the end of the 19th century led a busy life. She used the pen name Nellie Bly, which she took from a well-known song at the time, Nelly Bly. Bly was a popular columnist, but she was limited to writing pieces that only addressed women and soon quit in dissatisfaction. ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE; AMERICAN IDENTITY AND CITIZENSHIP, Major support for Women & the American Story provided by, Lead support for New-York Historicals teacher programs provided by. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer." Combine Elizabeth Cochranes life story with the life stories of, Connect Elizabeth Cochranes work to that of fellow muckraker, Elizabeth Cochrane was one of many Americans who fought to eradicate what she perceived as the evils of modern life. To what extent did Elizabeths trip around the world redefine ideas of what it meant to be a woman? While still working as a writer, Bly died from pneumonia on January 27, 1922. He later became a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran's Mills (which was named after him) in Pennsylvania. [60], Bly has been featured as the protagonist of novels by David Blixt,[61] Marshall Goldberg,[62] Dan Jorgensen,[63] Carol McCleary,[64] Pearry Reginald Teo, Maya Rodale,[65] and Christine Converse. [46] The Girl Puzzle opened to the public in December, 2021. Journalist Nellie Bly began writing for the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1885. How many siblings did Elizabeth Blackwell have? How many siblings did Rosalind Franklin have? After her ten-days-in-a-madhouse stunt and her circumnavigation of the globefeats that would make her a household nameshe went on to do many other things. National Women's History Museum, 2022. How many siblings did Sybil Ludington have? Nellie Bly had 14 siblings (10 half-siblings; 4 full blooded siblings). Ten Days in a Mad-House is a book by American journalist Nellie Bly. In 1880, her mother moved the family to Pittsburg, and Nellie Bly caught the eye of "The Pittsburg Dispatch" editor George Madden, when she wrote a response to the article "What Girls Are Good For." Ten Days in the Madhouse. Activist journalists like Elizabethcommonly known as muckrakerswere an important part of reform movements. [8], As a young girl, Elizabeth often was called "Pinky" because she so frequently wore that color. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. [45] The winning proposal, The Girl Puzzle by Amanda Matthews, was announced on October 16, 2019. Bly died of pneumonia at the age of 57 in 1922. [74] From early in the twentieth century until 1961, the Pennsylvania Railroad operated an express train named the Nellie Bly on a route between New York and Atlantic City, bypassing Philadelphia. She also covered major stories like the march of Jacob Coxeys Army on Washington, D.C. and the Pullman strike in Chicago, both of which were 1894 protests in favor of workers rights. Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran, Nellie Bly was famed for pioneering new investigative journalism when she worked as an undercover journalist in New York's most notorious mental institution. After the company suffered losses from embezzlement, Bly returned to journalism and reported from Europe during World War I. Her reporting on life in the asylum shocked the public and led to increased funding to improve conditions in the institution. Her trip around the world in 72 days brought her even further fame. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Nellie (her pen name) is the best known of these children, and there is not much information about her 14 siblings. How many siblings did Queen Victoria have? She is also well-known for making a trip around the world for a record 72 days, beating a fictitious record that had been set by . Her report was compiled into a book, Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887), and led to lasting institutional reforms. no. Now Nellie Bly is getting her due. The Washington Post. Nellie lived on a big farm with her parents Michael Cochran and Mary Kane and her siblings. Ultimately, the costs of these benefits began to mount and drain her inheritance. Nellie Bly gained international stardom for her world tour stunt that multiplied her fame. Bly's expos, published in the World soon after her return to reality, was a massive success. In 1895, Elizabeth retired from writing and married Robert Livingston Seaman. Now Nellie Bly is getting her due", "Young and Brave: Girls Changing History", "Into the Madhouse with Nellie Bly: Girl Stunt Reporting in Late Nineteenth-Century America", "Nellie Bly's Lessons in Writing What You Want To", "Ten Days in a Madhouse: The Woman Who Got Herself Committed", George Francis Train, The Bostonian Who Really Was Phileas Fogg, "Almost 100 Years After Her Death, Nellie Bly Is Back", "Nellie Bly, journalist, Dies of Pneumonia", "Industries Business History of Oil Drillers, Refiners", "Nellie Bly, Girl Reporter: Daredevil journalist", "Marching for the Vote: Remembering the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913", "Elizabeth Jane Cochran National Women's Hall of Fame", "Four Accomplished Journalists Honored on U.S. Postage Stamps", "Nellie Bly Marguerite Higgins Ethel L. Payne Ida M. Tarbell March Women's History Month Lady Journalists on Postage Stamps", "Amanda Matthews of Prometheus Art Selected to Create Monument to Journalist Nelly Bly on Roosevelt Island, Press Release", "Monument honoring journalist Nellie Bly opens: "This installation is spiritual", "New York Press Club Announces its 2020 Journalism Award Winners", "Fearless Feminist Reporter Nellie Bly Hits the Big Screen", "Judith Light hopes 'The Nellie Bly Story' will prompt mental health discussions", "All the Real-Life Scary Stories Told on American Horror Story", "Ladyghosts: The West Wing 2.05, 'And It's Surely to Their Credit', "Nellie Bly Goes Undercover at Blackwell's Island", "What Girls are Good For: Happy birthday Nellie Bly", "What Girls Are Good For - A Novel Of Nellie Bly", "Author: There's gold in them thar southern Black Hills", "The Mad Girls of New York: A Nellie Bly Novel", "New Book Gives Rebel Girls The Bedtime Tales They Deserve", "Round the world with Nellie Bly The Worlds globe circler", "Adventurer's Park Family Entertainment Center Brooklyn, NY", "The nautical adventures of the Trillium ferry in Toronto", "Ann Arbor Native David Blixt Discovered a Cache of Long Lost Novels by Journalist-Adventurer Nellie Bly", "American Woman Imprisoned in Austria; Liberated When Identified by Dr. Friedman", 10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1601472, "Nellie Bly: Pioneer journalist extraordinaire", "Dislocating the Masculine: How Nellie Bly Feminised Her Reports", Library of Congress "Nellie Bly: A Resource Guide", The Daring Nellie Bly: America's Star Reporter, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nellie_Bly&oldid=1141296960, Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York), Indiana University of Pennsylvania alumni, Pennsylvania state historical marker significations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Elly Cochran, Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, and most commonly known as Nellie Bly as her pen-name, Information, photos and original Nellie Bly articles at, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 09:53. She completed the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 secondssetting a real-world record, despite her fictional inspiration for the undertaking. Gertrude Kasebier (photographer), Zitkala Sa, Sioux Indian and activist, c. 1898. In 1888, Bly suggested to her editor at the New York World that she take a trip around the world, attempting to turn the fictional Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) into fact for the first time. It was one of the few things that helped set her apart from her 14 siblings. She lived there as an international correspondent for the Dispatch for six months. The show ran for 16 performances. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. Nellie Bly Baker (September 7, 1893 - October 12, 1984) was an American actress active in the silent film era and early talkies, mostly playing minor roles. In 1888, inspired by Jules Vernes 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, Bly aimed to turn the fictional tale into reality. [41], In 1998, Bly was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. [12][11][13] The editor, George Madden, was impressed with her passion and ran an advertisement asking the author to identify herself. She moved to New York City in 1886, but found it extremely difficult to find work as a female reporter in the male-dominated field. (June 2002) 217-253. Young Elizabeth attended boarding school but just for a term before dropping out due to insufficient funds. New-York Historical Society Library. In 2020, it was awarded to Claudia Irizarry Aponte, of THE CITY. How many siblings did Catherine of Aragon have? In 1887, at age 23, reporter Nellie Bly, working for Joseph Pulitzer, feigns mental illness to go undercover in notorious Blackwell's Island a woman's insane asylum to expose corruption, abuse and murder. In it, she explained that New York City invested more money into care for the mentally ill after her articles were published. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. When Bly was six, her father died suddenly and without a will. Her image was used on everything from playing cards to board games. Goodman, Matthew. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/learn/women-forging-way/nellie-bly-around-the-world, Ten Days in the Madhouse. A Celebration of Women Writers. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Blys family left Cochran's Mill. Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran (she later added an "e" to the end of her name) on May 5, 1864, in Cochran's Mills, Pennsylvania. She was 57 years of age. How many siblings did Elizabeth Cady Stanton have? In 1885, Elizabeth read an article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch that argued a womans place was in the home, to be a helpmate to a man. She strongly disagreed with this opinion and sent an angry letter to the editor anonymously signed Lonely Orphan Girl.. Nellie Bly, c. 1890. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Following her marriage, she retired from journalism and became the president of her husbands Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. How many siblings did Queen Elizabeth I have? A steam tug named after Bly served as a fireboat in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. How many siblings did Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton have? Brief Life History of Jonathan J How many sisters did Charles Dickens have? She was a pioneer in investigative journalism. Bly switched back to reporting, later on writing stories on Europe's Eastern Front during World War I and the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913. Bly went on to gain more fame in 1889, when she traveled around the world in an attempt to break the faux record of Phileas Fogg, the fictional title character of Jules Verne's 1873 novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. Her trip only took 72 days, which set a world record. [66] David Blixt also appeared on a March 10, 2021 episode of the podcast Broads You Should Know as a Nellie Bly expert. How many brothers did Susan B. Anthony have? Her New York debut, at age 23, was a harrowing two-part expos of the Woman's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's (now Roosevelt) Island for which she had feigned insanity and fooled a battalion of Bellevue doctors and curious reporters from competing papers to get inside. What does that mean, and how did her writing contribute to reform efforts on a variety of issues? How has Title IX impacted women in education and sports over the last 5 decades? [72], A large species of tarantula from Ecuador, Pamphobeteus nellieblyae Sherwood et al., 2022, was named in her honour by arachnologists.[73]. After a ten-day stay at the asylum, it was at the behest of the newspaper that Bly was freed. [50], Bly has been portrayed in the films The Adventures of Nellie Bly (1981),[51] 10 Days in a Madhouse (2015),[52] and Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story (2019). How many blood siblings did Queen Isabella have? When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Washington, D.C. McLoughlin Bros., Round the World with Nellie Bly, 1890. The editor was so impressed with her writing that he gave her a job. Robert was a millionaire who owned the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and the American Steel Barrel Company. A year later, at 9:40a.m. on November 14, 1889, and with two days' notice,[27][clarification needed] she boarded the Augusta Victoria, a steamer of the Hamburg America Line,[28] and began her 40,070 kilometer journey. When Bly was six, her father died suddenly and without a will. In it, she explores the country's people and customs, and even stumbles upon marijuana. In 2015, director Timothy Hines released 10 Days in a Madhouse, which also depicts Bly's harrowing experience in the asylum. [48], Bly was the subject of the 1946 Broadway musical Nellie Bly by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. Between 1889 and 1895, Nellie Bly also penned twelve novels for The New York Family Story Paper. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. [1] She was a pioneer in her field and launched a new kind of investigative journalism. 2022. All Rights Reserved. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer. This article was most recently revised and updated by, 8 of Nellie Bly's Most Sensational Stories. How many siblings did Molly Pitcher have? Nellie Bly embarked on her journey from Hoboken, New Jersey, travelling first by ship but later by other vehicles. When Cochrane introduced herself to the editor, he offered her the opportunity to write a piece for the newspaper, again under the pseudonym "Lonely Orphan Girl". Unscrupulous employees bilked the firm of hundreds of thousands of dollars, troubles compounded by protracted and costly bankruptcy litigation. [35], That same year, Iron Clad began manufacturing the steel barrel that was the model for the 55-gallon oil drum still in widespread use in the United States. [20] Penniless after four months, she talked her way into the offices of Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper the New York World and took an undercover assignment for which she agreed to feign insanity to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island, now named Roosevelt Island. How many siblings did Coretta Scott King have? There were nearly one million entries in the contest. (New York, N.Y.), 14 Nov. 1889. How many siblings did Mary Todd Lincoln have? She was the daughter of Michael Cochran and Mary Jane Kennedy Cochran (second wife). She completed circumnavigating the world in just 72 days and recorded her travel experiences in a book titled Around the World in 72 Days. She married millionaire Robert Seaman in 1895, but after his death she suffered financial reverses, and she returned to newspaper work on the New York Journal in 1920. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. Now Nellie Bly is getting her due., Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World. Still only 21, she was determined "to do something no girl has done before. He had 10 children with his first wife, Catherine Murphy, and 5 more children, including Elizabeth Cochran his thirteenth daughter, with his second wife, Mary Jane Kennedy. Wanting to write pieces that addressed both men and women, Bly began looking for a newspaper that would allow her to write on more serious topics. Taking on the pen name by which she's best known, after a Stephen Foster song, she sought to highlight the negative consequences of sexist ideologies and the importance of women's rights issues. [56], Bly was also a subject of Season 2 Episode 5 of The West Wing in which First Lady Abbey Bartlet dedicates a memorial in Pennsylvania in honor of Nellie Bly and convinces the president to mention her and other female historic figures during his weekly radio address. A fireboat named Nellie Bly operated in Toronto, Canada, in the first decade of the 20th century. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. Blys literary success proliferated when she turned the fictional tale of Jules Vernes 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, into reality. In her first act of stunt journalism for the World, Elizabeth pretended to be mentally ill and arranged to be a patient at New Yorks insane asylum for the poor, Blackwells Island. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. She left the newspaper industry after her marriage to serve as the president of her husbands company, Iron Clad Manufacturing Co. As a social reformer she gave over-the-top perks to her employees but the scheme cost the company so dearly that it went bankrupt. In 188687 she traveled for several months through Mexico, sending back reports on official corruption and the condition of the poor. In conjunction with one of her first assignments for the World, she spent several days on Blackwell's Island, posing as a mental patient for an expos. Upon her husbands death in 1904, Bly took the helm of his Iron Clad Manufacturing Co. During her time there, she began manufacturing the first practical 55-gallon steel oil drum, which evolved into the standard one used today. Blys husband died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and American Steel Barrel Company. American investigative journalist (18641922), Elizabeth Cochran, "Nellie Bly," aged about 26. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. National Women's History Museum. Full_Name: Elizabeth Jane Cochran. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. She breathed her last on January 27, 1922 at St. Mark's Hospital in New York City due to pneumonia. Shortly after her first article was published, Elizabeth changed her pseudonym from Lonely Orphan Girl to Nellie Bly, after a popular song. She was one of 15 children. How many siblings did Sophie Germain have? The evening world. Furthermore, her hands-on approach to reporting developed into a practice now called investigative journalism. Elizabeths mother soon remarried, but quickly divorced her second husband because of abuse, and relocated the family to Pittsburgh. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World. Her report, published 9 October 1887[23] and later in book form as Ten Days in a Mad-House, caused a sensation, prompted the asylum to implement reforms, and brought her lasting fame. [32] In 1893, though still writing novels, she returned to reporting for the World. The students will discuss diversity within the economics profession and in the federal government, and the functions of the Federal Reserve System and U. S. monetary policy, by reviewing a historic timeline and analyzing the acts of Janet Yellen. Engraving. How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? The first chapters of Eva The Adventuress, based on the real-life trial of Eva Hamilton, appeared in print before Bly returned to New York. Born in 1864, Bly was the thirteenth of 15 children in a family headed by Michael Cochran, a mill owner and county judge. Elizabeths writing career started abruptly and unintentionally. How many siblings did Angelina Grimke have? Nellie Bly was born as Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, to a mill worker Michael Cochran and his wife Mary Jane. Cochrane rode on ships and trains, in rickshaws and sampans, on horses and burros. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Washington, D.C. The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New Yorks most notorious mental asylums, Blackwells Island. Elizabeth Cochran was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania. Elizabeths boss did not want to anger Pittsburghs elite and quickly reassigned her as a society columnist.