History of Jane Goodall in Timeline
Jane Goodall is a renowned English primatologist, zoologist, and anthropologist, considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees. Since 1960, she has dedicated over 60 years to studying the social and family dynamics of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania. Her groundbreaking research revolutionized our understanding of chimpanzee behavior, challenging previous assumptions about their tool use, social structures, and cognitive abilities. Beyond her scientific contributions, Goodall is a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and animal welfare, inspiring generations to protect our planet and its inhabitants through her work with the Jane Goodall Institute.
1906: Birth of Margaret Myfanwe Joseph
In 1906, Margaret Myfanwe Joseph, Jane Goodall's mother, was born. She was a novelist who wrote under the name Vanne Morris-Goodall.
1907: Birth of Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall
In 1907, Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall, the father of Jane Goodall, was born. He was a businessman.
April 1934: Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall's Birth
In April 1934, Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall was born in Hampstead, London, to Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall and Margaret Myfanwe Joseph, who was a novelist.
April 1934: Jane Goodall's Birth
In April 1934, Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, later known as Dame Jane Goodall, was born. She would become a renowned English zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist, celebrated as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.
1958: Studies in London
In 1958, Louis Leakey sent Jane Goodall to London to study primate behavior with Osman Hill and primate anatomy with John Napier, preparing her for her future research.
July 1960: Arrival at Gombe Stream National Park
On July 14, 1960, Jane Goodall, accompanied by her mother, arrived at Gombe Stream National Park to begin her chimpanzee research, becoming the first of the 'Trimates'.
1960: Start of Chimpanzee Study
In 1960, Jane Goodall began her study of chimpanzee social and family life in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania. Her research revealed the personality, rational thought, and emotions of chimpanzees.
1960: First Chimpanzee Observation
In 1960, Jane Goodall ventured to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to begin her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees, marking the start of her 60-year investigation into their social and family interactions.
1962: Enrollment at the University of Cambridge
In 1962, despite not having a degree, Jane Goodall was sent to the University of Cambridge by Louis Leakey to pursue her studies. She was the eighth person to be allowed to study for a PhD at Cambridge without first obtaining a bachelor's degree.
March 1964: Marriage to Baron Hugo van Lawick
On 28 March 1964, Jane Goodall married Dutch nobleman and wildlife photographer Baron Hugo van Lawick at Chelsea Old Church, London, becoming known as Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall during their marriage.
1964: Bachelor of Arts Degree
By 1964, Jane Goodall received her Bachelor of Arts degree in natural sciences from Newnham College, Cambridge. Later that year, she enrolled at Darwin College to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in ethology.
1966: Completion of PhD Thesis
In 1966, Jane Goodall completed her PhD thesis, titled 'Behaviour of free-living chimpanzees,' detailing her first five years of study at the Gombe Reserve under the supervision of Robert Hinde.
1967: Birth of son, Hugo Eric Louis
In 1967, Jane Goodall and her then husband, Baron Hugo van Lawick, had a son named Hugo Eric Louis.
1974: Divorce from Baron Hugo van Lawick
In 1974, Jane Goodall and Baron Hugo van Lawick divorced.
1974: Start of Gombe Chimpanzee War
In 1974, the Gombe Chimpanzee War began. Over the next four years, Jane Goodall observed aggressive and violent behavior within chimpanzee troops, including the deliberate killing of young by dominant females, sometimes even cannibalism.
1977: Establishment of Jane Goodall Institute
In 1977, Jane Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to support the Gombe research and protect chimpanzees and their habitats.
1977: Mystical experience at Notre Dame Cathedral
In 1977, Jane Goodall had a mystical experience at Notre Dame Cathedral, which she later described in her 1999 book Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey.
1978: End of Gombe Chimpanzee War
In 1978, the Gombe Chimpanzee War came to an end. Jane Goodall's observations of aggressive and violent behavior within chimpanzee troops, including instances of infanticide and cannibalism, challenged previous perceptions of chimpanzees.
October 1980: Death of Derek Bryceson
In October 1980, Jane Goodall's second husband, Derek Bryceson, who was a member of Tanzania's parliament and the director of that country's national parks, passed away due to cancer.
1986: Shift to Conservation Focus
In 1986, the Understanding Chimpanzees conference, hosted by the Chicago Academy of Sciences, shifted Jane Goodall's focus from observation of chimpanzees to a broader concern with animal-human conservation.
1988: Gary Larson visits the research facility
In 1988, Gary Larson visited Jane Goodall's research facility in Tanzania where he was attacked by a chimpanzee named Frodo.
1990: Publication of Memoir
In 1990, Jane Goodall described the 1974-1978 Gombe Chimpanzee War in her memoir, 'Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe,' sharing her revolutionary findings on chimpanzee behavior.
1991: Publication of critique by Margaret Power
In 1991, Margaret Power published a book that focused on the argument that the use of feeding stations to attract Gombe chimpanzees altered normal foraging and feeding patterns and social relationships.
1991: Roots & Shoots Program Launch
In 1991, the Roots & Shoots program began when a group of 16 local teenagers met with Jane Goodall in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss environmental and social issues.
1992: Foundation of Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre
In 1992, Jane Goodall founded the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre in the Republic of Congo to care for chimpanzees orphaned due to the bush-meat trade. The center houses over a hundred chimps on its three islands.
1993: Criticism for Anthropomorphism
In 1993, Jane Goodall reflected on past criticisms she received in the early 1960s for using terms like 'childhood' and 'personalities' when describing chimpanzees, which was considered anthropomorphism at the time.
1994: Foundation of TACARE Project
In 1994, Jane Goodall founded the Lake Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation and Education (TACARE) pilot project to protect chimpanzees' habitat from deforestation by reforesting hills around Gombe and educating neighboring communities on sustainability and agriculture training.
1998: Presidency of Advocates for Animals
In 1998, Jane Goodall became the president of Advocates for Animals, an organization based in Edinburgh, Scotland, that campaigns against the use of animals in medical research, zoos, farming and sport. She resigned from the post in 2008
1999: Publication of Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey
In 1999, Jane Goodall's book, Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey, described the implications of a mystical experience she had at Notre Dame Cathedral in 1977.
2000: Founding of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
In 2000, Jane Goodall and Professor Mark Bekoff founded the organization Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to ensure the safe and ethical treatment of animals during ethological studies.
2000: Death of Margaret Myfanwe Joseph
In 2000, Margaret Myfanwe Joseph, Jane Goodall's mother, passed away.
2001: Death of Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall
In 2001, Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall, Jane Goodall's father, passed away.
April 2002: Named UN Messenger of Peace
In April 2002, Jane Goodall was designated as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, recognizing her extensive work in conservation and animal welfare.
April 2002: Named a United Nations Messenger of Peace
In April 2002, Secretary-General Kofi Annan named Jane Goodall a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
2004: Devotion to Advocacy
As of 2004, Jane Goodall dedicated virtually all of her time to advocacy on behalf of chimpanzees and the environment, traveling nearly 300 days a year.
2004: Named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
In 2004, Jane Goodall was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in an Investiture held at Buckingham Palace.
2004: Mention of Hunting Act
The Hunting Act 2004 was mentioned in 2015 when Jane Goodall signed a letter to Members of Parliament opposing Conservative prime minister David Cameron's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004.
June 2006: Honorary Doctorate
On June 19, 2006, Jane Goodall was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the Open University of Tanzania, recognizing her contributions to science and research.
2008: Lecture and Advocacy
In 2008, Jane Goodall gave a lecture entitled 'Reason for Hope' and demanded the European Union end the use of medical research on animals and ensure more funding for alternative methods of medical research.
2009: Publication of "The Inner World of Farm Animals"
In 2009, Jane Goodall wrote in 'The Inner World of Farm Animals' about the awareness and intelligence of farm animals and the need for respect and help.
September 2010: Belief in a spiritual power
In September 2010, Jane Goodall stated that she believes in a great spiritual power, particularly when she is out in nature.
2010: Roots & Shoots Global Reach
By 2010, the Roots & Shoots program had expanded to over 10,000 groups in over 100 countries, demonstrating its global impact on youth-led conservation efforts.
2010: Benefit concert in Washington DC
In 2010, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds held a benefit concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC to commemorate "Gombe 50: a global celebration of Jane Goodall's pioneering chimpanzee research and inspiring vision for our future".
2010: Coalition for Chimpanzee Endangered Status
In 2010, Jane Goodall, through JGI, formed a coalition to petition for listing all chimpanzees as endangered. In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) accepted this rule.
March 2011: Archives Move to Duke University
On March 17, 2011, Duke University announced that the Jane Goodall archives would move to Duke, with Anne E. Pusey overseeing the collection. Pusey had previously managed the archives in Minnesota.
2011: Patron of Voiceless
In 2011, Jane Goodall became a patron of the Australian animal protection group Voiceless, advocating against factory farming and cruelty to animals.
2012: Belief in undiscovered primate species
In 2012, Jane Goodall expressed her fascination with the possibility of undiscovered primate species, including cryptids like Sasquatch and Bigfoot, in an interview with the Huffington Post, stating she would "actually love them to exist."
2012: Engage in Conservation Challenge
In 2012, Jane Goodall took on the role of challenger for the Engage in Conservation Challenge with The DO School, where she collaborated with aspiring social entrepreneurs to create a workshop aimed at engaging young people in biodiversity conservation and addressing the global lack of awareness of the issue.
March 2013: Postponement of 'Seeds of Hope' due to plagiarism
On 22 March 2013, Hachette Book Group announced that Jane Goodall's and Gail Hudson's new book, Seeds of Hope, would not be released as planned on 2 April due to plagiarized portions.
April 2014: Release of 'Seeds of Hope' after revisions
In April 2014, the book 'Seeds of Hope' by Jane Goodall and Gail Hudson was released after review and the addition of 57 pages of endnotes, following its initial postponement due to plagiarism concerns.
2014: Criticism of Air France and NIH Regarding Animal Treatment
In 2014, Jane Goodall criticized Air France for transporting monkeys to laboratories, deeming the practice "cruel" and "traumatic." That same year, she also wrote to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to express her disapproval of maternal deprivation experiments conducted on baby monkeys in NIH laboratories.
2015: Endorsement and opposition to fox hunting
In 2015, Jane Goodall endorsed Caroline Lucas, a Green Party parliamentary candidate in the UK general election. Also in 2015, she opposed Conservative prime minister David Cameron's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004, by signing a letter against fox hunting to Members of Parliament.
2015: Chimpanzees Classified as Endangered
In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced that they would accept the rule that all chimpanzees would be classified as endangered, thanks to Jane Goodall's petition with a number of organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
2017: Disneynature Ambassador
As of 2017, Jane Goodall is an ambassador for Disneynature, contributing to their conservation efforts.
2017: Foreword to 'The Intelligence of the Cosmos'
In 2017, Jane Goodall wrote the foreword to the book The Intelligence of the Cosmos by Ervin Laszlo, where she expressed her belief in an Intelligence driving the process of evolution and a Supreme Being.
2018: Partnership with Schmidt's Naturals
In 2018, Jane Goodall partnered with Michael Cammarata on natural product lines from Schmidt's Naturals. Five percent of every sale benefited the Jane Goodall Institute.
August 2019: Honoured with a bronze sculpture
In August 2019, Jane Goodall was honored with a bronze sculpture in Midtown Manhattan as part of the Statues for Equality project, recognizing her contributions to science alongside nine other women.
2019: Primatology Field Demographics
As of 2019, the field of primatology consists of almost an even distribution of men and women, in part thanks to Goodall and her encouragement of young women to join the field.
2019: Named one of Time's 100 most influential people
In 2019, Time magazine named Jane Goodall as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
2020: Advocacy for ecocide to be an international crime and vow to plant 5 million trees
In 2020, Jane Goodall advocated for ecocide to be made an international crime. That same year, she pledged to plant 5 million trees as part of the 1 trillion tree initiative founded by the World Economic Forum.
2020: Partnership with Neptune Wellness Solutions
In 2020, Jane Goodall partnered with Michael Cammarata on natural product lines from Neptune Wellness Solutions. Five percent of every sale benefited the Jane Goodall Institute.
December 2021: Guest editor of BBC Radio Four Today programme
In December 2021, Jane Goodall was the guest editor of the BBC Radio Four Today programme, where she chose Francis Collins as the presenter of Thought for the Day.
2021: Vegan Lifestyle and Cookbook
In 2021, Jane Goodall became a vegan and authored a cookbook titled 'Eat Meat Less', advocating for the diet for ethical, environmental, and health reasons.
2021: Call to abolish caging of farm animals
In 2021, Jane Goodall called on the EU Commission to abolish the caging of farm animals.
2021: Received the Templeton Prize
In 2021, Jane Goodall received the Templeton Prize.
March 2022: The Lego Group issues A Jane Goodall Tribute
On 3 March 2022, The Lego Group issued set number 40530, A Jane Goodall Tribute, depicting a Jane Goodall minifigure and three chimpanzees in an African forest scene in celebration of Women's History Month and International Women's Day.
2022: Board Member of the Nonhuman Rights Project
As of 2022, Jane Goodall serves on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project, continuing her commitment to animal welfare and rights advocacy.
2022: Received the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication
In 2022, Jane Goodall received the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication for her long-term study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees.
April 2023: Made Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau
In April 2023, Jane Goodall was made Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau in a ceremony in The Hague, the Netherlands.
October 2024: "A Speech for History" at UNESCO
In October 2024, Jane Goodall gave "A Speech for History" at UNESCO, delivering an optimistic message on conservation and the role that everyone can play in preserving our planet by educating youth and communities to protect and respect the natural world.
January 2025: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
In January 2025, Jane Goodall was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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