Nellie Bly completes round-the-world journey (1889)

Nellie Bly completed her round-the-world journey for the New York World on January 25, 1890, arriving in New Jersey 72 days after her departure from Hoboken. The trip, inspired by Jules Verne's fiction, began on November 14, 1889, and involved travel through Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Bly beat competitor Elizabeth Bisland, who was still traveling at the time of Bly's arrival.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. In 1888, Bly proposed turning Jules Verne's fictional 'Around the World in Eighty Days' into fact. She departed Hoboken on November 14, 1889, aiming for 75 days. The New York World organized a guessing match for readers to estimate her arrival time. Bly traveled through England, France, Italy, the Suez Canal, Ceylon, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan.

Competition. Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore attempted the journey in the opposite direction for Cosmopolitan. Bly arrived in New Jersey on January 25, 1890, completing the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes. At that time, Bisland was still traveling. Bly was widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world, and she helped advance a new kind of immersion journalism.

Publication. Bly's book 'Around the World in Seventy-Two Days' was published in 1890. It detailed her journey inspired by Verne's 1873 novel. The trip was carried out for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. A board game named 'Round the World with Nellie Bly' was created in 1890 in recognition of her trip.

People involved

Sources

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