On the same day in 1889, two women left New York City with the same goal—to circle the globe in 80 days or fewer. The two women could not have been more different. Nellie Bly, a fearless reporter for The World newspaper had made her reputation by writing daring exposés where she went undercover, reporting abuses and social injustices which shocked the nation. Elizabeth Bisland was a genteel Southern woman who wrote literary pieces for Cosmopolitan and who could often be found hosting salons where she and her friends would drink tea and discuss literature. When Nellie Bly announced her plan to circle the globe by traveling East, Elizabeth Bisland’s editor sent Elizabeth in the opposite direction with the goal of beating Nellie Bly’s time. Nellie travelled first by steamship across the Atlantic, and Elizabeth began her journey traveling by train across the United States. The two encountered seemingly insurmountable obstacles in completing
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