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Historical Women of Letters

Nellie Bly for Vespasian Warner Public Library
Location:
Vespasian Warner Public Library District, 310 N Quincy St, Clinton, IL 61727
Date:
Jul 28, 2026
Time:
6:30pm
Registration Link:
Synopsis:
Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), this pioneer of investigative journalism is better known by her nom de plume,"Nellie Bly".
She became famous for her exposé of the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island. On November 14, 1889, Cochrane began a solo trip around the world in emulation of the fictional character Phileas Fogg from the 1873 Jules Verne novel "Around the World in Eighty Days" - completing her trip on January 25, 1890 in the record-breaking time of 72 days, six hours, 11 minutes, & 14 seconds.
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