[69], The board game Round the World with Nellie Bly created in 1890 is named in recognition of her trip. How many siblings did Cleopatra VII have? Jarena Lee, 1849. How many siblings did Florence Nightingale have? Watch Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story on Lifetime Movie Club. She also became renowned for her investigative and undercover reporting, including posing as a sweatshop worker to expose poor working conditions faced by women. In 1895, Elizabeth retired from writing and married Robert Livingston Seaman. How many siblings did Molly Pitcher have? How many children did Anne Hutchinson have? Working for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, Bly gained national fame for her undercover work as a patient in a women's mental asylum in New York City. How many siblings did Mary Livermore have? Conduct a close examination of. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. The articles were subsequently collected in Six Months in Mexico (1888). 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. Oil on canvas. How many siblings did Coretta Scott King have? Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days,. She was inducted as a part of the expert team launched to better the conditions prevailing at the asylum. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer. How many sisters did Martha Washington have? Elizabeth Jane Cochran, a.k.a. [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. How many children did Coretta Scott King have? She published her articles in a book titled 10 Days in A Mad House. Life Story: Elizabeth Cochrane, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922) World-Traveling Journalist and Muckraker The story of an investigative journalist who used her career to shed light on the horrors of urban life and break gender stereotypes. Her sharply critical articles angered Mexican officials and caused her expulsion from the country. 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. At the age of 15, she enrolled in the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and an added an e to her last name to sound more distinguished. Nellie Bly managed to circumnavigate the world in just 72 days, eight less than Jules Verne's fictitious hero, Phileas Fogg, who inspired the feat. Nellie Bly PBS: American Experience, Accessed 23 March 23, 2017 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/world/peopleevents/pande01.html, Life Story: Elizabeth Cochrane, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922), Women & The American Story, New-York Historical Society Library and Museum, https://wams.nyhistory.org/modernizing-america/modern-womanhood/nellie-bly/. How many brothers and sisters did George Washington Carver have? How many siblings did Lucretia Mott have? Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [38], Bly wrote stories on Europe's Eastern Front during World War I. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Who Is Dilbert Cartoonist Scott Adams? (New York, N.Y.), 14 Nov. 1889. [53] In 2019, the Center for Investigative Reporting released Nellie Bly Makes the News, a short animated biographical film. [55], Anne Helm appeared as Nellie Bly in the November 21, 1960, Tales of Wells Fargo TV episode "The Killing of Johnny Lash". How many siblings did James Meredith have? 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. How many siblings did Frances Hodgson Burnett have? The evening world. The town was founded by her father, Michael Cochran, who provided for his family by working as a judge and landowner. She died of pneumonia on January 27, 1922. On the final lap of her journey, the World transported her from San Francisco to New York by special train; she was greeted everywhere by brass bands, fireworks, and like panoply. Although Elizabeth never regained the level of stardom she experienced after her trip around the world, she continued to use her writing to shed light on issues of the day. The story of Nellie Bly, the pen name of a young reporter named Elizabeth Cochran, has been told and retold ever since she burst onto the scene in 1887. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. Feb. 1, 2000; Accessed April 27, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1601472. Her image was used on everything from playing cards to board games. In 1887, 23-year-old reporter Nellie Bly had herself committed to a New York City asylum to expose the horrific conditions for 19th-century mental patients. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [48], Bly was the subject of the 1946 Broadway musical Nellie Bly by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. Engraving. Her plan was to graduate and find a position as a teacher. [4][5][6] Her father, Michael Cochran, born about 1810, started out as a laborer and mill worker before buying the local mill and most of the land surrounding his family farmhouse. On May 5, 2015, the Google search engine produced an interactive "Google Doodle" for Bly; for the "Google Doodle" Karen O wrote, composed, and recorded an original song about Bly, and Katy Wu created an animation set to Karen O's music. Aspiring for a more meaningful career, she travelled to Mexico to serve as a foreign correspondent. Just two years after reviving her writing career, on January 27, 1922, Bly died from pneumonia in New York City. 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. [19] When Mexican authorities learned of Bly's report, they threatened her with arrest, prompting her to flee the country. [24] She had a significant impact on American culture and shed light on the experiences of marginalized women beyond the bounds of the asylum as she ushered in the era of stunt girl journalism. [10] In 1880, Cochrane's mother moved her family to Allegheny City, which was later annexed by the City of Pittsburgh. 1893-1894. 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. During her early journalism career, Bly wrote Six Months in Mexico (1888), which describes her time as a foreign correspondent in Mexico in 1885. no. How many siblings did Wilma Rudolph have? 1750. Nellie Bly was never one to sit idle while the world rushed by. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Bly's family left Cochran's Mill. [15] "Mad Marriages" was published under the byline of Nellie Bly, rather than "Lonely Orphan Girl". Blys successful career reached new heights in 1889 when she decided to travel around the world after reading the popular book by Jules Verne, At the age of 30, Bly married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. 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. 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. [14] Her second article, "Mad Marriages", was about how divorce affected women. 10 Days in a Madhouse: Directed by Timothy Hines. The newspapers editor, George Madden, saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter. She challenged the stereotypical assumption that women could not travel without many suitcases, outfit changes, and vanity items. Kroeger, Brooke. Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. How might Elizabeths position as a woman have helped her investigative reporting? 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. Writing for a newspaper wasn't considered "ladylike," and a fake name provided a veil of respectability between writer and public. 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. Thought lost, these novels were not collected in book form until their re-discovery in 2021.[75]. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. By Barbara Maranzani Updated: Nov 12, 2020. It was there that she added an e to her last name, becoming Elizabeth Jane Cochrane. Shortly after her first article was published, Elizabeth changed her pseudonym from Lonely Orphan Girl to Nellie Bly, after a popular song. What was nellie blys favorite color? American investigative journalist (18641922), Elizabeth Cochran, "Nellie Bly," aged about 26. Her honest reporting about the horrors of workers lives attracted negative attention from local factory owners. From France she went to Italy and Egypt, through South Asia to Singapore and Japan, then to San Francisco and back to New York. This article was most recently revised and updated by, 8 of Nellie Bly's Most Sensational Stories. Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. Brief Life History of Jonathan J Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story: Directed by Karen Moncrieff. When Bly was six, her father died suddenly and without a will. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. She told him about her plans to travel alone by train and ship around the world. Her mother remarried but divorced in 1878 due to abuse. She started a new trend in reporting that earned her recognition as an undercover reporter. Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mill, Pennsylvania. Her article's headline was "Suffragists Are Men's Superiors" and in its text she accurately predicted that it would be 1920 before women in the United States would be given the right to vote. 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 Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. 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. In a tribute after her death, the acclaimed newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane remembered Bly as the best reporter in America., Kroeger, Brooke. Nellie Bly: Around the World in 72 Days. Senator John Heinz History Center. How many siblings did St. Catherine of Siena have? [26] She was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City. [57], Bly has been the subject of two episodes of the Comedy Central series Drunk History. How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? In 1895, Bly married millionaire industrialist Robert Seaman, who was 40 years her senior, and she became legally known as Elizabeth Jane Cochrane Seaman. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore (February 11, 1861 - January 6, 1929) was an American journalist and author, perhaps now best known for her 1889-1890 race around the world against Nellie Bly, which drew worldwide attention. In it, she argued for reform of divorce laws. As few copies of the paper survived, these novels were thought lost until 2021, when author David Blixt announced their discovery, found in Munro's British weekly The London Story Paper. She completed the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds, setting a new world record. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Blys husband died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and American Steel Barrel Company. She was 57 years of age. Ultimately, the costs of these benefits began to mount and drain her inheritance. http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/madhouse.html. In 1911, she returned to journalism as a reporter for the New York Evening Journal. Born in 1864, Bly was the thirteenth of 15 children in a family headed by Michael Cochran, a mill owner and county judge. 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). Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. 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. (June 2002) 217-253. What does that mean, and how did her writing contribute to reform efforts on a variety of issues? 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. How many siblings does Katherine Johnson have? 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. Elizabeth knew that she would need to support herself financially. The New York World published daily updates on her journey and the entire country followed her story. The high point of Cochranes career at the World began on November 14, 1889, when she sailed from New York to beat the record of Phileas Fogg, hero of Jules Vernes romance Around the World in Eighty Days. How many siblings did Sybil Ludington have? How many siblings did Amy Carmichael have? Unidentified African American woman in uniform, 1861. 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. [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). Born In: Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania, United States. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. When Bly was six, her father died suddenly and without a will. [2], Elizabeth Jane Cochran was born May 5, 1864,[3] in "Cochran's Mills", now part of Burrell Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. How many siblings did Mother Teresa have? Those words, describing New York City's most notorious mental institution, were written by journalist Nellie Bly in 1887. world attention to journalist Nellie Bly with his But Bly was hopeless at understanding the financial aspects of her business and ultimately lost everything. How many siblings does Bessie Coleman have? All Rights Reserved. She faced rejection after rejection as news editors would not consider hiring a woman. Nellie Bly was born on May 5, 1864 (age 57) in Burrell, Pennsylvania, United States She is a celebrity journalist In it, she explores the country's people and customs, and even stumbles upon marijuana. Biography of Nellie Bly, Investigative Journalist, World Traveler. [12][11][13] The editor, George Madden, was impressed with her passion and ran an advertisement asking the author to identify herself. She breathed her last on January 27, 1922 at St. Mark's Hospital in New York City due to pneumonia. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [9] In 1879, she enrolled at Indiana Normal School (now Indiana University of Pennsylvania) for one term but was forced to drop out due to lack of funds. National Women's History Museum, 2022. [22], Committed to the asylum, Bly experienced the deplorable conditions firsthand. 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. The Girl Puzzle Monument honoring activist and journalist Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, pen name Nellie Bly (1864-1922), is a public sculptural installation by American artist Amanda Matthews, CEO/Partner of Prometheus Art Bronze Foundry and Metal Fabrication.The installation is located on the northern tip of Roosevelt Island in Lighthouse Park (named after the Blackwell Island Light) in the New . 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. She went undercover at a factory where she experienced unsafe working conditions, poor wages, and long hours. However, he also misspelled the name, and she became Nellie Bly.. [11], In 1885, a column in the Pittsburgh Dispatch titled "What Girls Are Good For" stated that girls were principally for birthing children and keeping house. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Bly's family left Cochran's Mill. She was one of 15 children. 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." Bly told the assistant matron: "There are so many crazy people about, and one can never tell what they will do. 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. How many children did Laura Ingalls Wilder have? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). She became one the leading women industrialists in the US and was the inventor of a novel milk can and a stacking garbage can, holding the patents for both. How many sisters did Susan B. Anthony have? She also interviewed and wrote pieces on several prominent figures of the time, including Emma Goldman and Susan B. Anthony. [17] Madden was impressed again and offered her a full-time job. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. Nellie Bly tied the nuptial knot in 1895 with the millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. (Bly's record was beaten in 1890 by George Francis Train, who finished the trip in 67 days.). [70], The Nellie Bly Amusement Park in Brooklyn, New York City, was named after her, taking as its theme Around the World in Eighty Days. "Nellie Bly." [11], Burdened again with theater and arts reporting, Bly left the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1887 for New York City. Similar reportorial gambits took her into sweatshops, jails, and the legislature (where she exposed bribery in the lobbyist system). siblings: Harry Cummings Cochrane. Life Story: Elizabeth Cochrane, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922), Women & The American Story, New-York Historical Society Library and Museum. 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. 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. 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. Unscrupulous employees bilked the firm of hundreds of thousands of dollars, troubles compounded by protracted and costly bankruptcy litigation. Nellie Blys Book: Around the World in Seventy-two Days (1890) was a great popular success, and the name Nellie Bly became a synonym for a female star reporter. 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. To escape writing about womens issues on the society page, Elizabeth volunteered to travel to Mexico. 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 Emmeline Pankhurst have? 1985.212. 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. The reporter known as Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in Cochran's Mills, Pennsylvania, where her father was a mill owner and county judge. New York, Nellie Bly Press, 2017. 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. How many siblings did Sojourner Truth have? 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. Unknown photographer, A Typical Boomer Family, ca. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Nellie Bly, Birth Year: 1864, Birth date: May 5, 1864, Birth State: Pennsylvania, Birth City: Cochran's Mills, Birth Country: United States. Date accessed. 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. 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. Her reporting on life in the asylum shocked the public and led to increased funding to improve conditions in the institution. She uncovered the abuse of women by male police officers, identified an employment agency that was stealing from immigrants, and exposed corrupt politicians. 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. . June 7, 1999. Christina Ricci starred as Bly and Transparent's Judith Light played the role of the head nurse. The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New Yorks most notorious mental asylums, Blackwells Island. Nellie's father was a successful businessman and a good parent to Nellie and her four siblings. In 2020, it was awarded to Claudia Irizarry Aponte, of THE CITY. 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. Michael had 10 children with his first wife, and he had 5 children with his second wife. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1889-11-14/ed-3/seq-1/, By: Arlisha R. Norwood, NWHM Fellow; Updated by: Mariana Brandman, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Womens History | 2020-2022. In 1904, when her husband died, Bly took over the reign of the company. 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. How many siblings did Mary McLeod Bethune have. For 72 days, as she jumped cargo ships, trains, tugboats, and rickshaws, newspaper readers had.
