60 years ago today, Jane Goodall first arrived at the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania to begin her ground-breaking study of chimpanzees in the wild.

Later that year, immersed in their forest community, the beloved British primatologist first observed the chimps creating tools for fetching termites—the first time that an animal was observed to modify an object to create a tool for a specific purpose. A mere secretary before she arrived, she was given a grant to study at Cambridge where she earned a PhD studying primate behavior and anatomy.



Dr. Jane Goodall (pictured above in 2018) posited an unconventional idea: “It isn’t only human beings who have personality, who are capable of rational thought and emotions like joy and sorrow.”

A trailblazing researcher at Gombe, she later established the Jane Goodall Institute, inspired generations across the world, breaking gender barriers in science, and spurred a global movement of compassion toward animals. WATCH a 60th anniversary tribute