Women’s History Month Profiles: Nellie Bly, Investigative Journalist and World Traveler

During Women’s History Month, Fair360, formerly DiversityInc is honoring a series of female innovators and history makers like Nellie Bly, who are often overlooked in mainstream media coverage and history books. Check back throughout March to learn about more important figures.

Born: May 5, 1864, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died: January 27, 1922, in New York City, New York
Known best for: her investigative journalism into how mentally ill people are treated in institutions, which led to widespread reform.

Elizabeth Jane Cochran, better known by Nellie Bly, was one of America’s first female investigative journalists. She became a journalist by accident at 21 years old when she wrote a response to a chauvinistic article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. The editor recognized her writing ability and hired her. At the Dispatch, she adopted the pen name, Nellie Bly.

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