Nellie Bly

Hello. My real name is Elizabeth Cochran, but you probably know me by my special writer’s name, Nellie Bly. I was born on May 5th, 1864. Even when I was a little girl, my head was full of questions about the world. I always wanted to know 'why?'. I didn’t like it when people told me girls couldn’t do certain jobs or have big adventures. One day in 1885, I read an article in a newspaper that made me feel fiery inside because it said girls weren't as good at things as boys. I wrote a strong letter back to the newspaper, and guess what? They liked my writing so much that they gave me my very first job as a reporter.

After a while, I moved to the big, busy New York City because I wanted to write even bigger stories. In 1887, my boss at the New York World newspaper gave me a very brave and important assignment. He asked me to go undercover. That means I had to pretend to be someone else. I had to pretend to be sick so I could get inside a hospital for women on a place called Blackwell's Island. People had heard that the women there were not being treated kindly, and my job was to find out the truth. I stayed in the hospital for ten whole days. I saw many sad things, and the women were not getting the help they needed. When I got out, I wrote a story about everything I saw. My story shocked everyone who read it. Because so many people learned the truth, the hospital was changed to become a much better and safer place for everyone. I was so happy my words could help make a real difference.

After my hospital story, I was ready for another big adventure. My next journey began in 1889. I was inspired by a popular book called 'Around the World in Eighty Days,' where a man tried to travel all the way around the globe. I thought to myself, 'I can do that even faster!'. So, I packed just one small bag with everything I needed and set off. I traveled on big steamboats across giant oceans and on fast trains that chugged across continents. It was an amazing race against time. I made it all the way back home to New York in only 72 days. I had done it. I set a new world record for traveling around the world.

I continued to write and explore for the rest of my life. I even became an inventor and created new things. I lived to be 57 years old. Today, people remember me as a courageous reporter who wasn't afraid to ask hard questions and uncover the truth. I used my words to help people who didn't have a voice. My adventures showed the world that women could do any amazing thing they set their minds to, and I hope my story inspires you to be curious and brave, too.