Google Doodle - 05.05.2015 - Happy Birthday (151th) Nellie Bly-Elizabeth Jane Cochran
Elizabeth Jane Cochran was born on May 5, 1864 in a suburb of Pittsburgh. But most people know this daughter of a mill worker as Nellie Bly: a world-famous journalist who made a trip around the world in 72 days in 1889. Throughout her life, Nellie defied society’s expectations for women; she questioned everything, and spoke up for the underprivileged, the helpless, and minorities.
Bly’s first publication, in 1880, was a response to a dismissive article called "What Girls Are Good For” a column in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. It talked about about how women shouldn't be allowed to work and that their place is to be at home. In her rebuttal, Cochrane argued how important it was for women to be independent and self reliant. The paper’s editor tracked down the young writer and hired her as a reporter; her pen name came from a Stephen Foster song.
At the Dispatch and then at the New York World, which was owned by Joseph Pulitzer, Bly made her name with hard-hitting stories. She went undercover at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island to write an expose about the conditions there. Her resulting book, “Ten Days in a Mad-House,” made her famous.
But most people know Nellie for her trip around the world. Inspired by Phileas Fogg, the hero of Jules Verne’s novel, “Around the World in 80 Days,” Nellie set sail from New York in November 1889 determined to beat Fogg’s time. Traveling by steamships and sailboats, Nellie sent dispatches back to her newspaper, updating its readers on her progress as she circled the globe. Instead of sitting idly and just observing, she was always a part of the action and conversation, despite the fact that public spaces were typically reserved for men at the time.
So when it came time to honor Nellie with a Doodle, we wanted to make it special. We asked Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to compose a song about Nellie, and then, using Karen’s lyrics as inspiration, we created a video celebrating Nellie’s life and legend. Befitting a journalist like Nellie, the video uses newspaper as a unifying theme, with paper tearing, folding and crumpling as the story goes along. And though the video is mostly black and white, we added some color to represent Nellie Bly's energy and liberal attitude
Bly’s first publication, in 1880, was a response to a dismissive article called "What Girls Are Good For” a column in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. It talked about about how women shouldn't be allowed to work and that their place is to be at home. In her rebuttal, Cochrane argued how important it was for women to be independent and self reliant. The paper’s editor tracked down the young writer and hired her as a reporter; her pen name came from a Stephen Foster song.
At the Dispatch and then at the New York World, which was owned by Joseph Pulitzer, Bly made her name with hard-hitting stories. She went undercover at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island to write an expose about the conditions there. Her resulting book, “Ten Days in a Mad-House,” made her famous.
But most people know Nellie for her trip around the world. Inspired by Phileas Fogg, the hero of Jules Verne’s novel, “Around the World in 80 Days,” Nellie set sail from New York in November 1889 determined to beat Fogg’s time. Traveling by steamships and sailboats, Nellie sent dispatches back to her newspaper, updating its readers on her progress as she circled the globe. Instead of sitting idly and just observing, she was always a part of the action and conversation, despite the fact that public spaces were typically reserved for men at the time.
So when it came time to honor Nellie with a Doodle, we wanted to make it special. We asked Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to compose a song about Nellie, and then, using Karen’s lyrics as inspiration, we created a video celebrating Nellie’s life and legend. Befitting a journalist like Nellie, the video uses newspaper as a unifying theme, with paper tearing, folding and crumpling as the story goes along. And though the video is mostly black and white, we added some color to represent Nellie Bly's energy and liberal attitude
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