Historical Women  of  Letters

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.