[66] David Blixt also appeared on a March 10, 2021 episode of the podcast Broads You Should Know as a Nellie Bly expert. In 1880, the family moved to Pittsburgh where Elizabeth supported her single mother by running a boarding house. How many blood siblings did Queen Isabella have? How many siblings did Susan B. Anthony have? Smithsonian Institute Archives Image # SIA 2010-1509. [19] When Mexican authorities learned of Bly's report, they threatened her with arrest, prompting her to flee the country. How many siblings did Mary Todd Lincoln have? Elizabeth had fourteen siblings. Nellie was born on May 5, 1864 in a city called Cochran's Millis in the United States. [41], In 1998, Bly was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. First, she wanted to beat the record set in the popular fictional world tour from Jules Vernes Around the World in Eighty Days. 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. At New York, she soon found herself a job at Joseph Pulitzers newspaper, New York World. One of her early assignments was to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island. 1. ", Lutes, Jean Marie. How many siblings did Emmeline Pankhurst have? She published all of her works as Elizabeth Bisland . How many siblings did Deborah Sampson have? Engraving. Young Elizabeth attended boarding school but just for a term before dropping out due to insufficient funds. Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. [49], During the 1990s, playwright Lynn Schrichte wrote and toured Did You Lie, Nellie Bly?, a one-woman show about Bly. Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. How many children did Catherine Parr have? Still only 21, she was determined "to do something no girl has done before. no. Baker's career as an actress took place from 1921-1934 and she performed in 13 films. How many children did Coretta Scott King have? The stunt made her famous. [28] Bly's journey was a world record, though it only stood for a few months, until George Francis Train completed the journey in 67 days.[31]. Religious Experience and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee: giving an account of her call to preach the gospel, frontispiece. Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. She was satisfied to know that her work led to change. She often exposed the poor working conditions faced by women. New-York Historical Society Library. Nellie Bly embarked on her journey from Hoboken, New Jersey, travelling first by ship but later by other vehicles. Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochran's Mill, Pennsylvania. Popularly known by her pen name Nellie Bly, Elizabeth Cochran was an American journalist and writer who was a pioneer in the field of investigative journalism. Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. of Congress. 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. Also around this time, she retired from journalism, and by all accounts, the couple enjoyed a happy marriage. Most of Blys early works revolved around the negative consequences of sexist ideologies and emphasized the importance of women's rights issues. This article was most recently revised and updated by, 8 of Nellie Bly's Most Sensational Stories. [42] Bly was one of four journalists honored with a US postage stamp in a "Women in Journalism" set in 2002. Blys six-part series on her experience in the asylum was called Ten Days in the Madhouse and quickly made Bly one of the most famous journalists in the country. Also Known As: Elizabeth Jane Cochran, Elisabeth Cochrane Seaman, place of death: New York City, United States, Notable Alumni: Indiana University Of Pennsylvania, education: Indiana University Of Pennsylvania, See the events in life of Nellie Bly in Chronological Order, (Journalist and Writer Known for Her Record-BreakingTrip Around the Worldin 72 Days), http://www.newseum.org/2015/03/17/unsung-heroes-nellie-bly/, http://womenshistory.about.com/od/blynellie/p/Nellie-Bly.htm, https://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2015/01/25/Honoring-Nellie-Bly-s-trip-125-years-ago-a-British-woman-retraces-her-steps-around-the-globe/stories/201501250014, https://www.biography.com/people/nellie-bly-9216680. How many siblings did Martha Washington have? 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. A misogynistic column in the daily, The Pittsburgh Dispatch, prompted her to pen a fiery rebuttal to the editor under the pseudonym Lonely Orphan Girl. Such was the impression of her writing that it won her a full-time employment with the newspaper. Patents 808,327 and 808,413). In 2020, it was awarded to Claudia Irizarry Aponte, of THE CITY. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Bly's family left Cochran's Mill. [11], Burdened again with theater and arts reporting, Bly left the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1887 for New York City. How many siblings did Emily Dickinson have? Michael Cochran began his career in the mills outside Pittsburgh, until he was able to earn enough to buy the mill. [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. [14] Her second article, "Mad Marriages", was about how divorce affected women. 1985.212. To escape writing about womens issues on the society page, Elizabeth volunteered to travel to Mexico. How many siblings did Queen Victoria have? In 188687 she traveled for several months through Mexico, sending back reports on official corruption and the condition of the poor. These changes included a larger appropriation of funds for the care of mentally ill patients, additional physician appointments for stronger supervision of nurses and other healthcare workers, and regulations to prevent overcrowding and fire hazards at the city's medical facilities. Nellie started boarding school but had to drop out after only one term since her parents did not have enough money to pay for the school. How many siblings did Victoria Woodhull have? Her expos of conditions among the patients, published in the World and later collected in Ten Days in a Mad House (1887), precipitated a grand-jury investigation of the asylum and helped bring about needed improvements in patient care. One of the protagonist's adventures in the 2003 film "The Adventures of Ociee Nash" is meeting Nellie Bly (Donna Wright) on a train. She went undercover at a factory where she experienced unsafe working conditions, poor wages, and long hours. At 15, Bly enrolled at the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania. 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. It shed light on the disturbing living condition of patients, the neglect on part of the authorities and the physical abuse meted out to patients. 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. In an effort to accurately expose the conditions at the asylum, she pretended to be a mental patient in order to be committed to the facility, .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}where she lived for 10 days. Her real name was Elizabeth Jane Cochrane; Nellie Bly was her pen name and the name under which she is most well-known. Nellie (her pen name) is the best known of these children, and there is not much information about her 14 siblings. What might she have been able to do that men could not? 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 Mary Livermore have? 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. How many siblings did Mary McLeod Bethune have. 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. Corrections? Born In: Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania, United States. She also interviewed and wrote pieces on several prominent figures of the time, including Emma Goldman and Susan B. Anthony. "Pink Cochrane" was a great name, but almost every woman journalist writing in the 19th century used a pseudonym. In the piece, writer Erasmus Wilson (known to Dispatch readers as the "Quiet Observer," or Q.O.) July 28, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/07/28/she-went-undercover-expose-an-insane-asylums-horrors-now-nellie-bly-is-getting-her-due/. 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. [55], Anne Helm appeared as Nellie Bly in the November 21, 1960, Tales of Wells Fargo TV episode "The Killing of Johnny Lash". [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. During her early journalism career, Bly wrote Six Months in Mexico (1888), which describes her time as a foreign correspondent in Mexico in 1885. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. Michael married twice. Elizabeth traveled light, taking only the dress she wore, a cape, and a small travelers bag. 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. How many sisters did Susan B. Anthony have? Kroeger, Brooke. In 1885, Bly began working as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Dispatch at a rate of $5 per week. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer." Due to the familys financial struggles, she left the school after one term and soon moved with her mother to Pittsburgh, where her two older brothers had settled. [53] In 2019, the Center for Investigative Reporting released Nellie Bly Makes the News, a short animated biographical film. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. Elizabeth Cochran was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania. 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. 1893-1894. This lesson will teach you about Nellie Bly, her adventures, her inventions, and why she wrote under a fake name! In it, she argued for reform of divorce laws. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. 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. How many siblings does Bessie Coleman have? The story of an investigative journalist who used her career to shed light on the horrors of urban life and break gender stereotypes. There have been claims that Bly invented the barrel,[35] but the inventor was registered as Henry Wehrhahn (U.S. Pace, Lawson. How many children did Catherine of Aragon have? 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. Franois (Franz) Fleischbein (artist), Portrait of Betsy, 1837. She wasn't the first woman of her time to join a newsroom, but she was certainly the most. 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 illustrious career also included a headline-making journey around the world, running an oil manufacturing firm, and reporting on World War I from Europe. "Nellie Bly." [34] Due to her husband's failing health, she left journalism and succeeded her husband as head of the Iron Clad Manufacturing Co., which made steel containers such as milk cans and boilers. Portrait of Nellie Bly. Bly's expos, published in the World soon after her return to reality, was a massive success. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The most famous of Elizabeths stunts was her successful seventy-two-day trip around the world in 1889, for which she had two goals. 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." Now Nellie Bly is getting her due., Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World. Gertrude Kasebier, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. What was nellie blys favorite color? Michael had 10 children with his first wife, and he had 5 children with his second wife. National Women's History Museum, 2022. Here are 10 facts about Nellie Bly. Sherwood, D., Gabriel, R., Brescovit, A. D. & Lucas, S. M. (2022). 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. At the age of 30, Bly married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. Elizabeth knew that she would need to support herself financially. Ten Days in a Mad-House is a book by American journalist Nellie Bly. Nellie Blys first major work as a reporter was when she did the asylum expose for New York World. Her work Ten Days in a Mad House was a phenomenal success and won her great acclaim. She told him about her plans to travel alone by train and ship around the world. 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. Aspiring for a more meaningful career, she travelled to Mexico to serve as a foreign correspondent. How many siblings did Florence Nightingale have? Died: January 27, 1922, New York City, NY. [72], A large species of tarantula from Ecuador, Pamphobeteus nellieblyae Sherwood et al., 2022, was named in her honour by arachnologists.[73]. By Barbara Maranzani Updated: Nov 12, 2020. Nellie Bly Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts. When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Washington, D.C. However, he also misspelled the name, and she became Nellie Bly.. All Rights Reserved. How many siblings did Sophie Germain have? 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. New York, Nellie Bly Press, 2017. 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. Elizabeth Jane Cochran, a.k.a. Bly suffered a tragic loss in 1870, at the age of six, when her father died suddenly. Between 1889 and 1895, Nellie Bly also penned twelve novels for The New York Family Story Paper. Bly died of pneumonia at the age of 57 in 1922. Nellie Bly Wikipedia. She began working for the New York Evening Journal in 1920 and reported on numerous events, including the growing womens suffrage movement. 1890. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. 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. How many siblings did Zora Neale Hurston have? Nellie Bly, was one of fourteen siblings growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The New York World completely supported her ambitious feat. She only attended one year of boarding school, because the financial burden placed on the family following her father's death forced her to quit school. She stayed up all night to give herself the wide-eyed look of a disturbed woman and began making accusations that the other boarders were insane. National Women's History Museum. In it, she explores the country's people and customs, and even stumbles upon marijuana. However, the newspaper soon received complaints from factory owners about her writing, and she was reassigned to women's pages to cover fashion, society, and gardening, the usual role for women journalists, and she became dissatisfied. Nellie Bly was the most famous American woman reporter of the 19th century. Feb. 1, 2000; Accessed April 27, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1601472. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. Her report of the horrifyingly appalling conditions prevailing inside the asylum was an eye-opener for the general public and authorities alike. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Death date: January 27, 1922. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Blys family left Cochran's Mill. 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. Nellie Bly tied the nuptial knot in 1895 with the millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. Amid their grief, Michael's death presented a grave financial detriment to his family, as he left them without a will, and, thus, no legal claim to his estate. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days,. 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. For the same, she feigned insanity to get into the asylum and have a first-hand experience of the treatment meted out to patients. 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". She was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City. [39] Bly was the first woman and one of the first foreigners to visit the war zone between Serbia and Austria. Unknown photographer, A Typical Boomer Family, ca. Bly not only accepted the challenge, she decided to feign mental illness to gain admission and expose firsthand how patients were treated. How many siblings did Dorothy Vaughan have? [16] Cochrane originally intended that her pseudonym be "Nelly Bly", but her editor wrote "Nellie" by mistake, and the error stuck. 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. Jarena Lee, 1849. She also became renowned for her investigative and undercover reporting, including posing as a sweatshop worker to expose poor working conditions faced by women. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Interestingly, rival newspaper New York Cosmopolitan had sent their reporter Elizabeth Bisland on a similar journey but she arrived four days later. A fireboat named Nellie Bly operated in Toronto, Canada, in the first decade of the 20th century. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. With Caroline Barry, Christopher Lambert, Kelly LeBrock, Julia Chantrey. 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. How many siblings did Frances Hodgson Burnett have? How many siblings did James Meredith have? 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. The newspapers editor, George Madden, saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter. How many sisters did Charles Dickens have? Gertrude Kasebier (photographer), Zitkala Sa, Sioux Indian and activist, c. 1898. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. 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. .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? [22], Committed to the asylum, Bly experienced the deplorable conditions firsthand. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. In early 2019, Lifetime released a thriller based on Bly's experience as an undercover reporter in a women's mental ward. Omissions? She moved back to Pittsburgh to help her mother run a boarding house. Activist journalists like Elizabethcommonly known as muckrakerswere an important part of reform movements. Elizabeth Cochran (she later added a final e to Cochran) received scant formal schooling. How many sisters did Martha Washington have? How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. In a tribute after her death, the acclaimed newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane remembered Bly as the best reporter in America., Kroeger, Brooke. He later became a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran's Mills (which was named after him) in Pennsylvania. [12][11][13] The editor, George Madden, was impressed with her passion and ran an advertisement asking the author to identify herself. Blys literary success proliferated when she turned the fictional tale of Jules Vernes 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, into reality. 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.. When Elizabeth Cochran began in journalism in 1885, it was considered inappropriate for a woman to write under her own name. How many siblings does Katherine Johnson have? She wanted to write a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. Just two years after reviving her writing career, on January 27, 1922, Bly died from pneumonia in New York City. She is often confused with the journalist Nellie Bly (1864-1922).