Born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on April 3, 1934, in London, England. When Goodall was about one year old, her father gave her a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee, inspired by a baby chimp born at the London Zoo. Friends thought the toy would frighten her — but instead, she loved it dearly. Jubilee became one of her most treasured possessions and a symbol of her lifelong love for primates.
Goodall later moved with her mother and sister to Bournemouth, on the south coast of England, after her parents’ divorce. From a very young age, Goodall was fascinated by animals and nature. Her mother, Vanne Goodall, encouraged this curiosity rather than discouraging it — a key influence in Goodall’s development. At age 4, she hid for hours in a chicken coop to watch how a hen lays an egg. Instead of scolding her for worrying everyone, her mother listened patiently as Goodall excitedly explained her discovery. She adored Doctor Dolittle books (about a man who could talk to animals) and Tarzan of the Apes, imagining herself living among animals in Africa.
“When I was a little girl, I used to dream as a man, because I wanted to do things that women didn’t do back then such as traveling to Africa, living with wild animals and writing books,” said Dr. Jane Goodall. “I didn’t have any female explorers or scientists to look up to but I was inspired by Dr. Dolittle, Tarzan and Mowgli in The Jungle Book — all male characters. It was only my mother who supported my dream: ‘You’ll have to work hard, take advantage of opportunities and never give up,’ she’d tell me. I’ve shared that message with young people around the world, and so many have thanked me, and said, ‘You taught me that because you did it, I can do it too.’”
As a child, Jane loved exploring her garden, climbing trees, observing insects, and collecting leaves and stones. She once said that she felt more at home outdoors than anywhere else.
When Goodall dreamed of going to Africa, people told her it was impossible for a girl — but her mother said, “If you really want something, and you work hard, and never give up, you will find a way.” This encouragement shaped Goodall’s determination to later travel to Africa and study chimpanzees — a dream that came true in 1960.
Goodall died of natural causes in Los Angeles, California, on 1 October 2025, at the age of 91, while on a speaking tour in the United States. Following her death, tributes were paid by a number of prominent figures. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; former US vice president Al Gore; former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, comedian Ellen DeGeneres, actor Leonardo DiCaprio; and António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, were among those who shared their condolences. Here are some adorable photos of Dr. Jane Goodall as a child from between the 1930s and 1940s:
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