Adapted from “Nellie Bly” Courtesy of: Library of Congress
How long does it take to travel all the way around the world? Reporter Nellie Bly found out. On January 25, 1890, police cleared a path through a cheering crowd as Bly stepped off a train in New York. It was just 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds after setting sail to prove she could circle the globe in less than 80 days. Why and how did she do it?
One day you might read a book by Jules Verne called Around the World in Eighty Days. The hero of the book, Phileas T. Fogg, travels around the globe in exactly 80 days. Nellie Bly said she could do it in less time. Bly traveled by ship, train, jinrikisha (a seat on wheels pulled by a man), sampan (a small riverboat), horse, and donkey. Her newspaper carried daily articles she wrote about her journey. It even offered a trip to Europe to the person who could come closest to guessing her finish time. The paper received nearly one million entries and sold more copies than ever before.
Source #2
Louise Boyd: Arctic Explorer
Why would anyone want to explore the Arctic? This area on Earth is located around the North Pole. It is covered in ice. And in the winter, temperatures can plunge , or drop, to fifty degrees below zero. Still, for a woman named Louise Boyd, the Arctic was just right. After taking a trip on the Arctic Ocean in 1924, Boyd began a life of exploration in the area. During the 1930s, she led several expeditions. She took thousands of photos and wrote about her experiences. She received many honors for her work.
Source #3
Adapted from “Harriet Adams” Courtesy of: California State Library
Harriet Chalmers Adams was a great American explorer. In 1904, she began a two year journey through South America. She visited every country! She also explored the countries of Cuba and Haiti on horseback. In 1913, she traveled to Asia and the South Seas. Adams wrote articles about her travels for National Geographic, colorfully describing the people she met on the way. She later became the first president of the Society of Women Geographers

Write a short essay explaining how the Nellie described in the sources gave people a better understanding of the world. Use details from all three sources to support your answer.