"Goodall's life journey stretches from marveling at the somewhat unremarkable creatures - though she would never call them that - in her English backyard as a wide-eyed little girl in the 1930s to challenging the very definition of what it means to be human through her research on chimpanzees in Tanzania. From there, she went on to become a global icon and a United Nations Messenger of Peace."
"Until her death on Oct. 1, 2025 at age 91, Goodall retained a charm, open-mindedness, optimism and wide-eyed wonder that are more typical of children. I know this because I have been fortunate to spend time with her and to share insights from my own scientific career. To the public, she was a world-renowned scientist and icon. To me, she was Jane - my inspiring mentor and friend."
"Despite the massive changes Goodall wrought in the world of science, upending the study of animal behavior, she was always cheerful, encouraging and inspiring. I think of her as a gentle disrupter. One of her greatest gifts was her ability to make everyone, at any age, feel that they have the power to change the world."
Jane Goodall began as a curious child in England and went on to conduct pioneering chimpanzee research in Tanzania that challenged the boundary between humans and animals. She documented that chimpanzees not only used tools but made them, altering scientific thinking about tool use and cognition. Her observations showed that the most successful chimp leaders were gentle and familial, while violent dominance failed. Goodall became a global icon and United Nations Messenger of Peace, retained childlike wonder and optimism until her death on Oct. 1, 2025 at age 91, and inspired generations toward conservation and peaceful activism.
Read at Fortune
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