Nellie Bly (1864-1922)
Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
A crusading journalist on Pittsburgh and New York newspapers, she won fame for her daring exploits and her investigations of social ills. In 1889-90, Bly circled the globe in 72 days. She was born Elizabeth Cochran and lived here as a child.
The Story
This marker honors Nellie Bly, one of America's boldest early investigative reporters, who spent part of her childhood in this corner of western Pennsylvania. Writing for papers in Pittsburgh and New York in the Gilded Age, she went undercover to expose the mistreatment of the poor and the institutionalized, turning firsthand experience into front-page reform journalism. In 1889–90 she captured the nation's imagination by racing around the world in a record 72 days, a feat inspired by Jules Verne's famous novel.
Why it matters
Bly helped invent modern investigative and stunt journalism at a time when few women worked as serious reporters, showing that the press could be a tool for exposing social wrongs and giving voice to the powerless.
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Related people
- · Nellie Bly
- · Elizabeth Cochran
Related events
- · Nellie Bly's 72-day trip around the world (1889-1890)
Themes & tags
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