Departing on November 14, 1889, Bly traveled by steamship, rail, and various other modes of transport through Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She encountered numerous obstacles, including dangerous weather conditions, travel delays, and cultural differences. However, her determination and wit kept her going, and she arrived back in New York on January 25, 1890—72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes after her departure, setting a world record for circumnavigating the globe.
Her journey was documented in a series of articles for the New York World, and it became a sensation. Not only did Bly’s adventure capture the imagination of readers, but it also challenged the typical expectations of women in that era. The success of her round-the-world trip helped solidify her as one of the most famous and beloved journalists of the time.
Later Career and Legacy
After her record-breaking journey, Bly continued to write for the New York World, covering a wide range of topics, including politics and labor issues. She also married millionaire industrialist Robert Seaman in 1895, which led to her temporarily stepping back from journalism. However, after her husband's death in 1905, she returned to reporting and even took a position with the New York Evening Journal, continuing to cover topics that were important to her, such as the treatment of women and the working class.
Bly’s career took on even greater significance in the context of the early feminist movement. She proved that women could excel in fields that had been dominated by men, and she used her platform to address issues that were often ignored or minimized. Throughout her life, Bly’s investigative reports and daring actions were a direct challenge to the constraints placed on women in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Her later years saw her transition to writing more feature-based stories, but her legacy as a trailblazer in investigative journalism remained intact. She died on January 27, 1922, at the age of 57, after a long battle with pneumonia. Despite her relatively early death, Nellie Bly’s influence on journalism and her contributions to social reform continue to be felt to this day.
Conclusion
Nellie Bly’s impact on journalism is immeasurable. She not only broke barriers for women in a male-dominated profession but also transformed investigative journalism into a tool for social change. Her courage, determination, and innovative approaches to storytelling set the stage for generations of journalists to come. Today, her name is synonymous with fearless reporting, and her legacy continues to inspire journalists, women, and people fighting for justice all around the world. shutdown123