At 15, Bly enrolled at the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. Nellie Bly, was one of fourteen siblings growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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. In 1889, the paper sent her on a trip around the world in a record-setting 72 days. Brief Life History of Jonathan J Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. Nellie Bly Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts. "Nellie Bly." 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. 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 Patricia Bath have? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. For ten days Elizabeth experienced the physical and mental abuses suffered by patients. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nellie-bly-9296.php. The newspapers editor, George Madden, saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter. However, not long after beginning her courses there, financial constraints forced Bly to table her hopes for higher education. 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. Bly suffered a tragic loss in 1870, at the age of six, when her father died suddenly. 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. 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. [citation needed] The character of Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) in American Horror Story: Asylum is inspired by Bly's experience in the asylum. How many siblings did Shirley Chisholm have? [32] In 1893, though still writing novels, she returned to reporting for the World. Thought lost, these novels were not collected in book form until their re-discovery in 2021.[75]. Born in 1864, Bly was the thirteenth of 15 children in a family headed by Michael Cochran, a mill owner and county judge. Her sharply critical articles angered Mexican officials and caused her expulsion from the country. American investigative journalist (18641922), Elizabeth Cochran, "Nellie Bly," aged about 26. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer." How many siblings did Dorothy Height have? She was a pioneer in investigative journalism. 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. [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). [26], Back in reporting, she covered the Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913 for the New York Evening Journal. http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/madhouse.html. She also interviewed influential and controversial figures, including Emma Goldman in 1893. [33] Bly was 31 and Seaman was 73 when they married. Goodman, Matthew. The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New Yorks most notorious mental asylums, Blackwells Island. [2], Elizabeth Jane Cochran was born May 5, 1864,[3] in "Cochran's Mills", now part of Burrell Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? She met Jules Verne at his home in France. 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 was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City. In early 2019, Lifetime released a thriller based on Bly's experience as an undercover reporter in a women's mental ward. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. The evening world. (Bly's record was beaten in 1890 by George Francis Train, who finished the trip in 67 days.). Engraving. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences. How many siblings did Victoria Woodhull have? Updates? Kroeger, Brooke. 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. She is often confused with the journalist Nellie Bly (1864-1922). [41], In 1998, Bly was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Activist journalists like Elizabethcommonly known as muckrakerswere an important part of reform movements. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. 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. However, after only a year and a half, Elizabeth ran out of money and could no longer afford the tuition. Elizabeths mother soon remarried, but quickly divorced her second husband because of abuse, and relocated the family to Pittsburgh. 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). How many siblings did Sophie Germain have? We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. How many siblings did Martha Washington have? She told him about her plans to travel alone by train and ship around the world. Following her marriage, she retired from journalism and became the president of her husbands Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. NASA on The Commons, via flickr, Home / Modernizing America, 1889-1920 / Modern Womanhood / Life Story: Nellie Bly. How many siblings does Bessie Coleman have? Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. Two years later, Bly moved to New York City and began working for the New York World. How many siblings does Katherine Johnson have? In 1880, the family moved to Pittsburgh where Elizabeth supported her single mother by running a boarding house. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. How many siblings did Benazir Bhutto have? Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mill, Pennsylvania. She started a new trend in reporting that earned her recognition as an undercover reporter. Elizabeths writing career started abruptly and unintentionally. The stunt made her famous. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies. Answer and Explanation: Nellie Bly had 14 siblings (10 half-siblings; 4 full blooded siblings). 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. Kroeger, Brooke. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [40], On January 27, 1922, Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital, New York City, aged 57. 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 went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. [14] It was customary for women who were newspaper writers at that time to use pen names. [citation needed] Julia Duffy appeared as Bly in the July 10, 1983 Voyagers! Between 1889 and 1895 she wrote eleven novels. She went undercover at a factory where she experienced unsafe working conditions, poor wages, and long hours. 1. Nellie was born on May 5, 1864 in a city called Cochran's Millis in the United States. Elizabeth Cochran (she later added a final e to Cochran) received scant formal schooling. How many siblings did Eleanor of Aquitaine have? READ MORE: Inside Nellie Blys 10 Days in a Madhouse. 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. Faced with such dwindling finances, Bly consequently re-entered the newspaper industry. How many children did Catherine Parr have? Nellie Bly gained international stardom for her world tour stunt that multiplied her fame. 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]. Jarena Lee, 1849. Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story: Directed by Karen Moncrieff. She was inducted as a part of the expert team launched to better the conditions prevailing at the asylum. Print Page Nellie Bly Nellie Bly, c. 1890. 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. In 1888, inspired by Jules Vernes 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, Bly aimed to turn the fictional tale into reality. How many siblings did Elizabeth Cady Stanton have? "[18] She then traveled to Mexico to serve as a foreign correspondent, spending nearly half a year reporting on the lives and customs of the Mexican people; her dispatches later were published in book form as Six Months in Mexico. However, Bly became increasingly limited in her work at the Pittsburgh Dispatch after her editors moved her to its women's page, and she aspired to find a more meaningful career. 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. 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/. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. 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/. 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. Oportunidades Iguales Para Las Mujeres En El Trabajo y La Educaccion, Womens Strike for Equality, New York, Fifth Avenue, 1970, Eugene Gordon photograph collection, 1970-1990. However, he also misspelled the name, and she became Nellie Bly.. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. National Women's History Museum. How many children did Coretta Scott King have? In business, her curiosity and independent spirit flourished. How many children did Anne Hutchinson have? 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. How many siblings did Mary Livermore have? She stayed there until the World rescued her ten days later. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. 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. [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. 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. 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.