Why is nellie bly famous?

Answer 1

While Nellie Bly became famous for her trip around the world in 72 days, readers knew her as one of the the first undercover, investigative reporters. Back then, in the late 1880s, this was called "Stunt Journalism," and Nellie did it well. For example, she pretended to be insane and got herself admitted to a mental hospital, where she was able to write about (and reveal) the brutal conditions and the cruelty inflicted upon the patients. Her reporting led to much-needed reforms. She also did other undercover reports about the life of a prostitute, how day laborers were treated, corruption in the free clinic system, etc. It was after she made her name as a courageous investigative reporter that she took on the challenge of going around the world, attempting to beat the mythic Jules Verne story, "Around the World in Eighty Days." Because she was a woman, there was great skepticism as to whether she could succeed. Nellie began her journey in mid November 1889 and completed it, with frequent reports along the way, in late January 1890.