The Secret Life

Elizabeth Bisland was a real historical figure. She was an American journalist and author who lived from 1861 to 1929. One of her most notable achievements was her participation in a race around the world against Nellie Bly, another pioneering journalist, in 1889. The race was a result of a challenge proposed by Bly's newspaper, The World, to beat the record set by Jules Verne's fictional character Phileas Fogg in his novel "Around the World in Eighty Days." Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland set off on their respective journeys in opposite directions, and their race captivated the public's imagination. While Bly traveled eastward, Bisland went westward. Both women aimed to complete their journeys as quickly as possible, and their adventures garnered significant media attention during and after the race.