On July 14, 1960, Jane Goodall began her chimpanzee research at Gombe.
On July 14, 1960, Jane Goodall first set foot in Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve, Tanzania, marking the beginning of a pioneering study that would transform our understanding of chimpanzees and humanity itself. Under the mentorship of Louis Leakey, Goodall embarked on what would become a six-decade-long study, observing the everyday lives of wild chimpanzees. Her empathetic approach and lack of formal scientific training allowed her to recognize and document behaviors that were previously unseen in the animal kingdom, laying the groundwork for modern primatology.