Born May 5, 1864, Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania
Died January 27, 1922

Nellie Bly had an adventurous spirit and a strong concern for others. These two qualities combined to make her one of the most widely read newspaper reporters of her time. In order to get a true sense of the subjects she wanted to write about—factory conditions, care for the mentally ill, prison life—she disguised herself and went undercover, one of the first journalists to do so. Her shocking revelations led to needed reforms, and her daring encouraged women to try new things at a time when their choices were limited. When Bly decided to beat the travel record of Phileas Fogg, a fictional character in Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days, people around the globe followed her progress and cheered her success.

Bly was born Elizabeth Cochran on...