Jane Goodall, scientist and global activist, died at age 91 in California.

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Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall died on Wednesday at age 91 in California, amid a speaking tour in the United States. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, the cause of death was natural. In recent years, Jane Goodall traveled an average of 300 days a year, meeting with local leaders, schools, and communities to advocate for urgent action against climate change.

Born in London in 1934, Jane Goodall grew up in Bournemouth, southern England, and from an early age dreamed of living among wild animals. She worked as a secretary until traveling to Kenya in 1957, where she met anthropologist Louis Leakey, who mentored her in chimpanzee research. In the 1960s, in Gombe, Tanzania, she was the first to demonstrate that chimpanzees exhibited human-like behaviors: they were capable of using tools, hunting in groups, maintaining family bonds, and displaying emotions. By giving the animals names instead of numbers and recording their personalities, she broke scientific norms at the time.

Jane Goodall was recognized for transforming her childhood passion for animals into a life dedicated to science and environmental protection, sparking a revolution in primatology, inspiring generations. Throughout her career, she expanded her work to climate and environmental protection after witnessing the devastation of habitats. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which maintains research centers and conservation programs around the world, as well as the Roots & Shoots project, which focuses on environmental education for children and young people. Jane Goodall also became a global figure for her political engagement. In 2003, she was made a Dame of the British Empire, and this year she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the United States.