Nellie bly biography asylum expose

(1864-1922)

Who Was Nellie Bly?

Journalist Nellie Bly began writing for the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1885.

Nellie bly biography asylum expose

Two years later, Bly moved to New York City and began working for the New York World. 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 exposé.

In 1889, the paper sent her on a trip around the world in a record-setting 72 days.

Early Life and Struggles

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.

The town was founded by her father, Michael Cochran, who provided for his family by working as a judge and landowner.

The marriage was the second one for both Michael and Bly's mother, Mary Jane, who wed after the deaths of their first spouses.

Michael had 10 children with his first wife and five more with Mary Jane, who had no prior children.

Bly suffered a tragic loss