When Elizabeth Cochrane was 16 years old, an article came out of Pittsburgh newspaper Dispatch, entitled "What Girls are Good For," saying that women should not be allowed to work outside the home. Upon reading the article, the smart and fiesty young woman wrote a hefty rebuttal, arguing that women can be independent and self-reliant, as opposed to what 19th century society believed.
A decade later, the country came to know Cochrane through her pen name Nellie Bly, a trailblazer in the field of investigative journalism. And on her 151st birthday, Google celebrates her legacy with her own special version of Google Doodle.
The Google Doodle pays tribute to Bly's journalism roots, with animated newspaper transitioning as milestones in her life unfold. "We're excited to tell her story in today's Doodle-and we hope Nellie inspires women and girls everywhere to follow in her footsteps and show the world what they can do," according to Google's official statement. Karen O of the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs wrote and recorded a song for the celebration of the investigative reporter's birthday entitled "Nellie."
Born on May 5, 1864 in a suburban town in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth became known for fighting for the plight of society's marginalized and underprivileged, most especially women. After her letter to the Dispatch, the editor decided to hire her. At the time, women reporters used pen names in order to be taken seriously by their male counterparts.
After her newspaper stint, Bly went on to work for a job at New York World, a newspaper owned by Joseph Pulitzer. Around this time, she wanted to expose the conditions of mental asylum patients, therefore in 1887, she went undercover and entered Women's Lunatic Asylum. Months later, her groundbreaking book "Ten Days in a Mad-House" was published.
Her adventurous spirit paved way for another brave project. In 1889, inspired by Jules Verne's novel "Around the World in 80 Days," Bly decided to beat Phileas Fogg's record by going on an adventure of her own. Travelling from New York, she rode steamboats and ships, and in the end, she successfully circled the globe in just 72 days, eight days shorter than the fictional character.
Throughout her life, Bly had consistently defied society's expectation of women. From her news articles, books, and just by even publicly discussing her opinions about society with men, Google wishes that with the Doodle, Nellie Bly's legacy would be preserved, and may serve as an inspiration to women everywhere.