Jane Goodall is a world-renowned British primatologist and conservationist, famous for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in the wild at Gombe, Tanzania, starting in 1960. Her discoveries, including chimpanzees’ ability to make and use tools, redefined the understanding of human-animal relationships. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to advance conservation efforts and the Roots & Shoots program in 1991 to empower young people in conservation leadership. Today, she travels globally, advocating for environmental protection, wildlife welfare, and hope for the future. Goodall continued to write and lecture about environmental and conservation issues into the early 21st century. In 2002 she became a UN Messenger of Peace.

The recipient of numerous honors, Goodall was created Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2003. She also was awarded the Templeton Prize (2021), the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication (2022), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2025). Jane, a documentary about her life and work, appeared in 2017.