A Race Around the World

In 1889, New York reporter Nellie Bly--inspired by Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days--began a circumnavigation she hoped to complete in less time. Her trip was sponsored by her employer, The World. Just hours after her ship set out across the Atlantic, another New York publication, The Cosmopolitan magazine, put writer Elisabeth Bisland on a westbound train. Bisland was headed around the world in the opposite direction, thinking she could beat Bly's time. Only one woman could win the race, but both Bly and Bisland completed their journeys in record time and experienced unforgettable adventures.