Nellie Bly is a pioneering female journalist best known for her 72-day trip around the world and exposé on the conditions of asylum patients on New York City’s Blackwell’s Island. Nellie Bly is also a writer, inventor, and businesswoman. Explore more about Nellie Bly’s Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Weight, Net Worth, Relationship, Career & Facts
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Elizabeth Cochran |
|---|---|
| Born Date: | May 05, 1864 |
| Age: | 157 years |
| Horoscope: | Taurus |
| Lucky Number: | 11 |
| Lucky Stone: | Emerald |
| Lucky Color: | Green |
| Best Match for Marriage: | Virgo, Cancer, Capricorn |
| Death Date: | January 27, 1992 |
| Gender: | Female |
| Profession: | Journalist |
| Country: | USA |
| Husband | Robert Seaman |
| Birth Place | Pittsburgh |
| Nationality | American |
| Father | Michael Cochran |
| Mother | Mary Jane |
| Siblings | 14 |
| Wiki | Elizabeth Cochran Wiki |
Nellie Bly Age And Biography
Nellie Cochran was born on May 05, 1864, as Elizabeth Mary Jane Cochran. Her birthplace, “Cochran’s Mills,” is now a neighborhood in Pittsburgh. In the 1790s, the Conchrans moved from County Londonderry, Ireland. Michael Cochran, Elizabeth’s father, used to work as a laborer and mill worker.
However, he went on to work as a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran’s Mills. Michael’s second wife was Elizabeth’s mother, Mary Jane. He married her after his first wife, Catherine Murphy, died. Elizabeth had four brothers and sisters, as well as ten half-siblings.
Nellie Bly Childhood
Pinky, as Nellie was known as a child for frequently wearing that color, changed her surname to “Cochrane” when she reached the age of adolescence. She even went to a boarding school but had to drop out after her father died. She later enrolled at Indiana Normal School.
Furthermore, she then enrolled in a small college in Indiana. However, due to the financial crisis, she was unable to continue her education. As a result, in 1880, she and her family relocated to Pittsburgh, where she and her mother opened a boarding house.
Nellie Bly Career, Professional Life
Bly gained attention for her writing after submitting a raunchy response to an editorial piece published in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. Erasmus Wilson’s editorial “What Girls Are Good For” declared girls to be limited in domestic duties. George Madden, the paper’s managing editor, was impressed by Bly’s response to the article. In exchange, he offered her a full-time position.
Bly began writing for the Pittsburgh Dispatch under the pen name “Nellie Bly” in 1885. It comes from Stephan Foster’s well-known song “Nelly Bly.” She emphasized the importance of women’s rights and the consequences of gender inequality as a reporter for the ‘Pittsburgh Dispatch.’ She presented articles about divorced women, female factory workers, and their plight. After receiving complaints from factory owners, she was transferred to the women’s page to cover fashion, society, and gardening. That’s when she decided she wanted to pursue a more meaningful career. As a result, she decided to travel to Mexico and work as a foreign correspondent. She spent six months in Mexico learning about and reporting on the locals. She even chastised the Mexican government for incarcerating a local journalist. When the authorities learned about her article, they threatened her with arrest. As a result, she fled to the United States.
More On Career
After leaving the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1887, she relocated to New York and began working for the New York World. One of her previous assignments was to conduct an undercover investigation into the experiences of patients at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island in New York City. For this, she pretended to be a mental patient and spent ten days in the Asylum. She witnessed and experienced neglect and physical abuse firsthand. She returned and published the exposé in ‘the world.’ She later went on to write and publish the best-selling book ‘Ten Days in a Madhouse.’ It not only made her famous but also prompted the Asylum to implement reforms.
Following the Blackwell exposé, Bly continued his investigative work in a similar vein. Her major reports have included allegations of corruption in the state legislature as well as improper treatment of individuals in New York jails and factories.
Nellie Bly Relationship And Affairs
In 1895, Bly married millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman, 73 at the time. She was only 31 years old at the time. Due to her husband’s health issues, Bly was forced to take care of him and his business. Unfortunately, Robert died after only nine years of marriage.
Nellie Bly Net worth
Nellie Bly’s net worth was about $2 million.
Facts
- Her lucky number is 11.
- Her lucky stone is Emerald.
- Nellie’s lucky color is green.
