Nellie Bly was an American journalist, author, and industrialist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is best known for her groundbreaking investigative journalism, which included a record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, and her exposé of the conditions of the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. She was also a successful businesswoman, founding the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company, which produced steel barrels and other products.
Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania in 1864. She was the daughter of a successful mill owner, and she was raised in a comfortable home. She was educated in the local schools, and she showed an early aptitude for writing. At the age of 16, she wrote a letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch, criticizing the paper’s coverage of women’s issues. The editor was so impressed with the letter that he offered her a job as a reporter.
Nellie Bly quickly made a name for herself as a fearless and tenacious reporter. She wrote about a variety of topics, including labor conditions, poverty, and women’s rights. She also wrote about her own experiences, such as her trip to Mexico in 1888. In 1889, she wrote a series of articles about the conditions of the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, which exposed the horrific conditions and mistreatment of the patients.
In 1889, Nellie Bly made history by embarking on a record-breaking trip around the world. She traveled from New York to San Francisco, then to Japan, China, and India, before returning to New York. She completed the trip in 72 days, beating the record set by Jules Verne’s fictional character Phileas Fogg.
In 1895, Nellie Bly founded the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company, which produced steel barrels and other products. She was the first woman to own and operate a steel manufacturing company. She was also a successful author, writing several books about her travels and experiences.
Nellie Bly died in 1922 at the age of 58. She was remembered as a pioneering journalist and a successful businesswoman. Her legacy lives on in the many books and articles she wrote, and in the example she set for women everywhere.
Nellie Bly was a remarkable woman who achieved a great deal in her lifetime. She was a fearless journalist who exposed the truth about the conditions of the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. She was also a successful businesswoman, founding the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. Her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days was an incredible feat, and her books and articles continue to inspire readers today. Nellie Bly was a true pioneer, and her legacy will live on for generations to come.