All in all, there were some very interesting women in our history. A lot of their names we don't remember, but I'll bet that many have heard the name of Nellie Bly! There might be some confusion as to what she did, but this article from Listverse should clear that right up!
Nellie Bly
1864-1922
Nellie Bly may be the most recognized name on this list, but she was born Elizabeth Cochran. Her adventures came about due to her work for the New York World paper. This was the age of ‘stunt’ journalism, and Bly’s first report was to be an exposé of a women’s lunatic asylum. Pretending to be demented, Bly was admitted and experienced the lot of the patients confined on the island. The food was rancid, the nurses brutal, and the asylum hardly fit for humans. The article she wrote was a breakthrough in investigative journalism, and led to reform for mental hospitals. Her next adventure was one that brought her worldwide fame. Bly undertook a challenge to make a trip around the world in a time faster than Phileas Fogg’s eighty days. She set out with a special passport signed by the Secretary of State, on November 14, 1889. Her voyage started in seasickness but would end in triumph. In France, she met Jules Verne, who thought she might manage the trip in 79 days, but never the 75 she hoped. Having steamed across seas, gone through the Suez Canal, seen Colombo and Aden, visited a Chinese leper colony and bought a Monkey, Bly made it back to New York in a time of 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes.
I'd bet that many a young lady was impressed enough by the actions of Nellie that they felt empowered to go out and start making their own mark in the world! Certainly wouldn't surprise me one bit!
Coffee inside again today. It's colder than it has been and inside sounds good to me! I hate cold feet!
