Overview

• The Jane Goodall Institute said she died of natural causes in California at age 91, and local authorities reported no suspicion of foul play after responding to a call at her Los Angeles-area home around 8:30 a.m.
• She had been scheduled for events in the region, including a Pasadena tree-planting kickoff and a Friday lecture at UCLA, with organizers planting the first tree in her name after a moment of silence.
• Goodall’s decades-long research in Tanzania documented tool use, complex social behavior, and distinct personalities among chimpanzees, challenging assumptions about human uniqueness.
• She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and launched the global youth program Roots & Shoots in 1991, institutions that continue conservation, education, and community projects worldwide.
• Her advocacy earned global recognition, including appointment as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, the 2021 Templeton Prize, and the 2025 U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.