150 years ago today, Phileas Fogg made his famous fictional wager and started his journey Around the World in Eighty Days. To commemorate the anniversary, let’s travel along with him for the next eighty days and find out how the world he circled has changed.
He made his bet and started his trip at the Reform Club. Jules Verne didn’t invent that club—it had existed for thirty-six years. A gentlemen’s club originally devoted to promoting the passage of the Reform Act of 1836, it conducted business in a building on Pall Mall Street in central London.
The club still exists today, but with some changes. Once political, it’s now mostly social. Once all-male, it admitted women in 1981.
In 1872, greater London boasted a population of 3.9 million. Queen Victoria sat on the throne of England, and William Ewart Gladstone of the Liberal Party served as Prime Minister. The 20th Parliament performed legislative duties.
In October 2022, greater London’s population numbers 8.8 million. The monarch is King Charles III, and the Prime Minister is Liz Truss of the Conservative Party. They’re up to the 58th Parliament now.
The date of October 2 fell on a Wednesday in 1872. Fogg set a departure time of 8:45 pm, since he planned to take the train to Dover leaving at that time.
In 2022, the second day of October falls on a Sunday. Trains still run from London to Dover, and the trip takes less than two hours. You could also drive by car, rideshare with others, take a bus, or fly. Fogg lacked all of those latter options.
In related news, I’m launching a new book today. Called 80 Hours, it’s a modern take on the Verne classic. You can buy it in ebook form at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Rakuten Kobo, Tolino, and Vivlio.
Let’s agree to meet in Paris tomorrow, just Phileas Fogg, his servant Passepartout, you, and—
Poseidon’s Scribe
What a fun adventure. Have you tried to actually do it? It would take much less time now I’m sure because of changes in transportation but would still be a great adventure.
Thanks for the comment. I agree, it would be fun, but I haven’t done it. We’ve traveled a little, but going around the world isn’t in our plans right now.