Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, otherwise known by her pen name, Nellie Bly, is a female journalist known for her travels around the world and her many stories using investigative journalism. 

Bly was born on May 5, 1864, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. She lived a fairly country life. Her career started by responding to a column about how women were only good for traditional values. Back then, women journalists were not given the same respect as male journalists, so they went under pen names to appear more gender-neutral. Her first pen name was “Lonely Orphan Girl,” which later changed to “Nellie Bly.” Bly’s earliest works were focused primarily on sexism against women. 

Wanting to do something different and extravagant after being directed to the woman section in the newspaper, Bly traveled to Mexico, and wrote about the daily lives and traditions of Mexican people, the writing named “Six Months of Mexico.” 

One of her most grand accomplishments, and headstarting investigative journalism, is when she went undercover at a women’s asylum in New York, which had reports of neglect. Bly had to feign insanity, and she took her role very seriously. Yelling, giving up sleep, and wandering the streets is how she acted to get doctors to admit her. Spending ten days there, she explored the heinous environment and horrible conditions. Bly gained fame from her report, “Ten Days in a Mad House,” and the asylum underwent reforms to improve the conditions. 

Another grand accomplishment is when she took the challenge of going around the world. In 1889, a book was published called Around the World in 80 days. She was influenced by it and decided to take the challenge herself. The trip took her 72 days and she had set a world record for a little while, but it was then overtaken by George Francis Train, and he set the new record with 67 days. 

For a part of her life, Bly retired from journalism and married Robert Seaman. She overtook his company when he died, the Iron Clad manufacturing company. She kept the company going for a while until she had to declare bankruptcy. After that, she returned to journalism to report on World War l.

Because of her achievements as an investigative journalist, she was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame. Bly died on Jan. 27, 1922 from pneumonia. Her investigative work still has such an important influence on investigative journalism.