Around the World With Nellie Bly
On this day in 1889, a daring young journalist named Nellie Bly boarded a ship in New York Harbor with a small satchel, a few changes of clothes, and one bold goal: to circle the globe in less than 80 days.
Inspired
by Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, she set out alone, without an entourage or elaborate plans, to prove that women were every bit as capable, courageous, and clever as men.
Nellie worked for The New York World, and her editors initially doubted her. Traveling the world alone? Impossible for a woman, they
said.
Bly’s response was simple and confident: “Very well. Start the man, and I’ll start the same day and beat him.” The newspaper relented, and off she went, by steamship, train, rickshaw, and even on the back of a mule, through England, France,
Egypt, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Singapore, Hong Kong, and across the Pacific.
Seventy-two days later, she returned to a cheering crowd in New York, having shattered expectations and set a world record. Her dispatches along the way captivated readers, blending adventure with humor and sharp social insight. Nellie Bly wasn’t
just racing a clock; she was redefining what was possible for women at a time when most weren’t even allowed to travel unaccompanied.
Her journey remains a reminder that courage often begins as quiet conviction...the belief that maybe I can. Whether it’s a big dream like circumnavigating the globe or a smaller one, like
starting a project you’ve put off because others said it couldn’t be done, Bly’s story invites us to question limitations.
Today, let her spirit inspire you to start something bold. Pack your metaphorical satchel with confidence, curiosity, and determination!
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