In 1895, Bly married millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. She was far and away the best-known woman journalist of her day. She told him about her plans to travel alone by train and ship around the world. Does Nellie have any. [33] Bly was 31 and Seaman was 73 when they married. Elizabeths writing career started abruptly and unintentionally. Young Elizabeth attended boarding school but just for a term before dropping out due to insufficient funds. Her fathers death when she was quite young had left the Cochran family with meagre means. Though New York World continuously covered her travel diaries, it was later in 1890 that Bly published a book about the experience, titling it Around the World in 72 Days. Her real name was Elizabeth Jane Cochrane; Nellie Bly was her pen name and the name under which she is most well-known. How many siblings did Marie Antoinette have? There were nearly one million entries in the contest. Gertrude Kasebier, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. When Elizabeth Cochran began in journalism in 1885, it was considered inappropriate for a woman to write under her own name. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer. She wanted to write a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. Nellie Bly was never one to sit idle while the world rushed by. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. Nellie Bly, pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane, also spelled Cochran, (born May 5, 1864, Cochrans 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. Elizabeths investigations brought attention to inequalities and often motivated others to take action. She was the daughter of Michael Cochran and Mary Jane Kennedy Cochran (second wife). Here are 10 facts about Nellie Bly. She uncovered the abuse of women by male police officers, identified an employment agency that was stealing from immigrants, and exposed corrupt politicians. At a time when a womans contribution to a newspaper was generally confined to the womens pages, Cochrane was given a rare opportunity to report on wider issues. Her favorite color is pink. The marriage was the second one for both Michael and Bly's mother, Mary Jane, who wed after the deaths of their first spouses. [67], A fictionalized account of Bly's around-the-world trip was used in the 2010 comic book Julie Walker Is The Phantom published by Moonstone Books (Story: Elizabeth Massie, art: Paul Daly, colors: Stephen Downer). She was six years old when her beloved father died without warning, and without a will, plunging his once wealthy and respected family into poverty and shame. When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies. 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. She regularly sent articles reporting about the lives and customs of Mexican people which were later published as a book titled, Six Months in Mexico. How many sisters did Ernest Shackleton have? Bly continued to publish influential pieces of journalism, including interviews with prominent individuals like anarchist activist and writer Emma Goldman and socialist politician and labor organizer Eugene V. Debs. Bly suffered a tragic loss in 1870, at the age of six, when her father died suddenly. Nellie Bly, c. 1890. Bolstered by continuous coverage in the World, Bly earned international stardom for her months-long stunt, and her fame continued to grow after she safely returned to her native state and her record-setting achievement was announced. How many siblings did James Meredith have? [16] Cochrane originally intended that her pseudonym be "Nelly Bly", but her editor wrote "Nellie" by mistake, and the error stuck. Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran; May 5, 1864 January 27, 1922), better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist, who was widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, in emulation of Jules Verne's fictional character Phileas Fogg, and an expos in which she worked undercover to report on a mental institution from within. A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to wina Nobel Peace Prize. During her travels around the world, she went through England, France, Brindisi, the Suez Canal, Colombo, the Straits Settlements of Penang and Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. After ten days, the asylum released Bly at The World's behest. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Nellie Bly, was one of fourteen siblings growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ten Days in a Mad-House was a raging success and brought Nellie Bly immense fame and recognition as a writer and civil rights activist. Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story: Directed by Karen Moncrieff. In 1887, Bly relocated to New York City and began working for the New York World, the publication that later became famously known for spearheading "yellow journalism." She was 57 years of age. How many siblings did Coretta Scott King have? Seaman died in 1904, and Bly took over his firm, the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. How many siblings did Queen Elizabeth I have? She was arrested when she was mistaken for a British spy. Oil on canvas. Her report was compiled into a book, Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887), and led to lasting institutional reforms. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. How many children did Abigail Adams have? She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. Smithsonian Institute Archives Image # SIA 2010-1509. Well never share your email with anyone else, Nellie Bly became a star journalist by going undercover as a patient at a New York City mental health asylum in 1887 and exposing its terrible conditions in the, Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. [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. 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. Unidentified African American woman in uniform, 1861. [1] She was a pioneer in her field and launched a new kind of investigative journalism. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. At the age of 30, Bly married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. Bly continued to produce regular exposs on New Yorks ills, such as corruption in the state legislature, unscrupulous employment agencies for domestic workers, and the black market for buying infants. Elizabeth Jane Cochran, a.k.a. [22], Committed to the asylum, Bly experienced the deplorable conditions firsthand. 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. In early 2019, Lifetime released a thriller based on Bly's experience as an undercover reporter in a women's mental ward. Nellie Bly: Around the World in 72 Days. Senator John Heinz History Center. 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. Bly followed her Blackwell's expos with similar investigative work, including editorials detailing the improper treatment of individuals in New York jails and factories, corruption in the state legislature and other first-hand accounts of malfeasance. In this lesson, students will experience the tragedy of the commons through a team activity in which they compete for resources. How many siblings did Mary McLeod Bethune have. Returning to Pittsburgh, she temporarily continued working for The Pittsburgh Dispatch before leaving for New York City in 1887. 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. As she became a teenager, she wanted to portray herself as more sophisticated, and she dropped the nickname and changed her surname to "Cochrane". The piece shed light on a number of disturbing conditions at the facility, including neglect and physical abuse, and, along with spawning her book on the subject, ultimately spurred a large-scale investigation of the institution. New-York Historical Society Library. 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]. Nellie Bly had 14 siblings (10 half-siblings; 4 full blooded siblings). Born In: Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania, United States. "Pink," as she was known in childhood, was the youngest of 13 (or 15, according . How many siblings did Elizabeth Blackwell have? How many brothers and sisters did Theodore Roosevelt have? In business, her curiosity and independent spirit flourished. Nellie Bly was a journalist at a time when there were very few women in the workforce. 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. Most of Blys early works revolved around the negative consequences of sexist ideologies and emphasized the importance of women's rights issues. During her early journalism career, Bly wrote Six Months in Mexico (1888), which describes her time as a foreign correspondent in Mexico in 1885. All rights reserved. A fireboat named Nellie Bly operated in Toronto, Canada, in the first decade of the 20th century. 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 1889, the paper sent her on a trip around the world in a record-setting 72 days. The column, which appeared in The Dispatch on February 1, 1885, was bylined "Nellie Bly.". Two years later, Bly moved to New York City and began working for the New York World. She covered a number of national news stories, including the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913 in Washington, D.C. Elizabeth often referred to suffrage in her articles, arguing that women were as capable as men in all things. On January 25, 1890, the world waited for a young reporter named Nellie Bly to arrive back home. The New York World published daily updates on her journey and the entire country followed her story. Cochrane rode on ships and trains, in rickshaws and sampans, on horses and burros. How many brothers and sisters did Amelia Earhart have? Her reporting introduced readers to the horrors of insane asylums and to international travel. New-York Historical Society Library. Ultimately, the costs of these benefits began to mount and drain her inheritance. Date accessed. How many siblings did Sophie Germain have? Nellie's father was a successful businessman and a good parent to Nellie and her four siblings. 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. Bly crafted a fiery rebuttal that grabbed the attention of the paper's managing editor, George Madden, who, in turn, offered her a position. In 1880, the family moved to Pittsburgh where Elizabeth supported her single mother by running a boarding house. Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mill, Pennsylvania. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. Shortly after her first article was published, Elizabeth changed her pseudonym from Lonely Orphan Girl to Nellie Bly, after a popular song. But her negligence, and embezzlement by a factory manager, resulted in the Iron Clad Manufacturing Co. going bankrupt. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. In 1888, inspired by Jules Vernes 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, Bly aimed to turn the fictional tale into reality. Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. She was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days,. [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. [21], It was not easy for Bly to be admitted to the Asylum: she first decided to check herself into a boarding house called "Temporary Homes for Females". Her honest reporting about the horrors of workers lives attracted negative attention from local factory owners. She died of pneumonia on January 27, 1922. 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. With Christina Ricci, Judith Light, Josh Bowman, Anja Savcic. Though most of her works were based on throwing light at the appalling condition of women in the society, and the need to uplift them, she is best remembered for her work on an asylum expos in 1887 in which she faked insanity to get into a mental asylum and reported about the horrific condition of the mental patients. To escape writing about womens issues on the society page, Elizabeth volunteered to travel to Mexico. [43][44], In 2019, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation put out an open call for artists to create a Nellie Bly Memorial art installation on Roosevelt Island. After a ten-day stay at the asylum, it was at the behest of the newspaper that Bly was freed. [15] "Mad Marriages" was published under the byline of Nellie Bly, rather than "Lonely Orphan Girl". Astrological Sign: Taurus, Death Year: 1922, Death date: January 27, 1922, Death State: New York, Death City: New York, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Nellie Bly Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/activist/nellie-bly, Publisher: A&E Television Networks, Last Updated: April 19, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? New York, Nellie Bly Press, 2017. While in charge of the company, Bly put her social reforms into action and Iron Clad employees enjoyed several perks unheard of at the time, including fitness gyms, libraries and healthcare. Elizabeth too began writing under the pen name Nellie Bly after the Stephen Foster song. While still working as a writer, Bly died from pneumonia on January 27, 1922. Also, her 1889 record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, in emulation of Jules Verne's fictional character Phileas Fogg, was a historic move for a woman at that time. 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. Early in life, she was compelled to speak truth to power when she testified on her mother's behalf against an abusive stepfather. world attention to journalist Nellie Bly with his But Bly held the record for only a few months before it was broken by businessman George Francis Train who completed the journey in 67 days. Safely home, she accused Daz of being a tyrannical czar suppressing the Mexican people and controlling the press. [55], Anne Helm appeared as Nellie Bly in the November 21, 1960, Tales of Wells Fargo TV episode "The Killing of Johnny Lash". 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. How many siblings did Eleanor of Aquitaine have? In response to an article in the. How many siblings did Frances Hodgson Burnett have? How many siblings did Eleanor Roosevelt have? How many siblings did Queen Victoria have? The Sibling Society The Sibling Society Reconsidering the Siblings, a Critical Study of Robert Bly's The Sibling Society The Sibling Society Mirabai Iron John Leaping Poetry A Little Book on the Human Shadow Morning Poems The Teeth-Mother Naked at Last Growing Yourself Back Up Talking Into the . Sherwood, D., Gabriel, R., Brescovit, A. D. & Lucas, S. M. (2022). American National Biography. One of Bly's earliest assignments was to author a piece detailing the experiences endured by patients of the infamous mental institution on Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island) in New York City. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. Michael had 10 children with his first wife, and he had 5 children with his second wife. How many siblings did Rosalind Franklin have? Those words, describing New York City's most notorious mental institution, were written by journalist Nellie Bly in 1887. In 1887, Bly stormed into the office of the New York World, one of the leading newspapers in the country. How many siblings did Molly Pitcher have? How many brothers and sisters did Jimmy Carter have? How many siblings did Emmeline Pankhurst have? How many siblings did Catherine of Aragon have? 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. Lutes, Jean Marie. Blys successful career reached new heights in 1889 when she decided to travel around the world after reading the popular book by Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days. Blys husband died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and American Steel Barrel Company. Her trip only took 72 days, which set a world record. Pace, Lawson. Her investigation of conditions at an insane asylum sparked outrage, legal action, and improvements of the treatment of the mentally ill. New-York Historical Society Library. Just over seventy-two days after her departure from Hoboken, Bly was back in New York. Life Story: Elizabeth Cochrane, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922), Women & The American Story, New-York Historical Society Library and Museum. Unknown photographer, A Typical Boomer Family, ca. [19] When Mexican authorities learned of Bly's report, they threatened her with arrest, prompting her to flee the country. How many siblings did Patricia Bath have? Bly later enrolled at the Indiana Normal School, a small college in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where she studied to become a teacher. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. [14] Her second article, "Mad Marriages", was about how divorce affected women. She was one of 15 children. [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. Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. How many siblings did Althea Gibson have? How many blood siblings did Queen Isabella have? In 188687 she traveled for several months through Mexico, sending back reports on official corruption and the condition of the poor. Elizabeth hoped the massive newspaper industry of New York City would be more open-minded to a female journalist and left Pittsburgh. Bly's celebrity reached an international level with her mission to travel around the world in 80 days, just as the character Phileas Fogg did in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days. How many siblings did Shirley Chisholm have? 1750. Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. Her image was used on everything from playing cards to board games. Biography of Nellie Bly, Investigative Journalist, World Traveler. Bly died of pneumonia at the age of 57 in 1922. To sustain interest in the story, the World organized a "Nellie Bly Guessing Match" in which readers were asked to estimate Bly's arrival time to the second, with the Grand Prize consisting at first of a trip to Europe and, later on, spending money for the trip. The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New Yorks most notorious mental asylums, Blackwells Island. For 72 days, as she jumped cargo ships, trains, tugboats, and rickshaws, newspaper readers had. [68], Bly is one of 100 women featured in the first version of the book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls written by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Nellie Bly was ousted from Mexico after she ran a series of articles criticizing the Mexican dictator and ruler, Porfirio Diaz. Now Nellie Bly is getting her due., Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World. Furthermore, her hands-on approach to reporting developed into a practice now called investigative journalism. Nellie Bly became a star journalist by going undercover as a patient at a New York City mental health asylum in 1887 and exposing its terrible conditions in the New York World. How many children did Catherine Parr have? Cochrans editor chose the name Nelly Bly from a Stephen Foster song. Activist journalists like Elizabethcommonly known as muckrakerswere an important part of reform movements. When Bly was six, her father died suddenly and without a will. What was nellie blys favorite color? Unfortunately, he died when Elizabeth was only six years old and his fortune was divided among his many children, leaving Elizabeths mother and her children with a small fraction of the wealth they once enjoyed. In 1911, she returned to journalism as a reporter for the New York Evening Journal. 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. . [1] [2] MLA Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. From France she went to Italy and Egypt, through South Asia to Singapore and Japan, then to San Francisco and back to New York. She was a pioneer in investigative journalism. "Nellie Bly." Now Nellie Bly is getting her due. The Washington Post. Given the green light to try the feat by the New York World, Bly embarked on her journey from Hoboken, New Jersey, in November 1889, traveling first by ship and later also via horse, rickshaw, sampan, burro and other vehicles. The World built up the story by running daily articles and a guessing contest in which whoever came nearest to naming Cochranes time in circling the globe would get a trip to Europe. During World War I, she traveled to Europe as the first woman to report from the trenches on the front line. At a time when women reporters were generally restricted to womens page reporting, Bly covered wider issues beyond just gardening or lifestyle and concentrated on slum life and other important topics. Nellie Bly was born on May 5, 1864 (age 57) in Burrell, Pennsylvania, United States She is a celebrity journalist Her trip around the world in 72 days brought her even further fame. Her reporting on life in the asylum shocked the public and led to increased funding to improve conditions in the institution. [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. Alternate titles: Elizabeth Cochran, Elizabeth Cochrane. However, he also misspelled the name, and she became Nellie Bly.. [69], The board game Round the World with Nellie Bly created in 1890 is named in recognition of her trip. The editor chose "Nellie Bly", after the African-American title character in the popular song "Nelly Bly" by Stephen Foster. [46] The Girl Puzzle opened to the public in December, 2021. Nellie Bly was known for her pioneering journalism, including her 1887 expos on the conditions of asylum patients at Blackwell's Island in New York City and her report of her 72-day trip around the world.