Nellie Bly (1864-1922) was the pen name of American pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran. She remains notable for two feats: an 1889 72-day record-breaking trip around the world in emulation of Jules Verne’s character Phileas Fogg, and an expos in which she faked insanity to study a mental institution from within. In addition to her writing, she was also an industrialist, charity worker, and inventor (receiving patents for am improved milk can and a stacking garbage can).
