Nellie Bly Turns 151 On May 5th!

Nellie Bly turns 151. She was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochran’s Mills Pennsylvania to Mary Jane and Michael Cochran. The town was named after her father.

Nellie Bly.

Happy 151st Nellie Bly!

Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (Later Nellie Bly): Early Years

Nellie Bly’s father was a blacksmith by trade. He built a profitable business and became a man of means in his town. He was later trained to be an honorary judge. Due to his judicious spirit and willingness to step in to right wrongs, he became known fondly as “the Judge.”

Her father was able to perform some of the duties of a judge. He brought young Nellie with him to the homes of his various “cases,” and taught her to look beneath the surface story. His greatest gift to her was her inquiring mind and her passion for justice.

Her mother dressed her in pink with white tights. All other girls wore black, brown or dark blue, but Nellie loved to be different. She learned to attract attention and revel in it. She earned the nickname Pink or Pinky.

She was a child with a tireless imagination. Pinky stayed up late nights writing tales of heroes and heroines for her own delight as well as the amusement of her friends.

Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman Becomes Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman. Her editor at the Pittsburg Dispatch, George Madden, gave her the pen name “Nellie Bly” from Stephen Foster’s then popular song. At that time it was considered unsavory for females to have their real name in print.

Bly won George Madden’s attention by writing an anonymous rebuttal to an aggressively misogynistic column, “What Girls Are Good For.” Her fiery letter won so much attention from Madden’s readers that he printed a letter in his paper requesting the author to meet with him.

Madden fully expected a male to show up to his meeting. Instead, a petite, pretty young woman arrived at his doorstep. That was Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman.

How Old Was Nellie Bly?!

Bly was known to fudge a bit when it came to her true age. She was actually 25 when she made her famous trip around the world, not 23 as she claimed, but that’s just a footnote in history now.