“There will always only be one Jane Goodall,” remarked Michael Tomasello, an expert on the origin of language at Duke University. Jane Goodall, one of the most famous scientists of the 20th century, died peacefully on October 1st, 2025. However, the impact she had through her revolutionary research on chimpanzees and conversationalism will continue to flourish and bring discoveries to the scientific world long after her passing.
At only 23, after working as a waitress and secretary, Goodall called paleontologist Louis Leakly, whom she impressed so much that he offered her a spot on a research trip to Tanzania to observe primates. From there, her scientific career skyrocketed. She observed chimpanzees, whom she gave nicknames—Flo, Fiji, David Greybeard—and noticed their different personalities and behavior. She made astonishing scientific discoveries that the scientific community first intensely criticized. She was accused of attributing human traits to animals: a cardinal sin to many paleontologists.
However, she gained international fame through the journals published about her journey. She described threats of crocodiles, malaria, leopards, and giantly deadly centipedes, as she followed the chimpanzee troop, which she said she had been dreaming of since she was a child. She learned many things about chimpanzees by studying their leadership patterns, socialization, and how they raised their children. Her most groundbreaking discovery was that chimpanzees used tools like people did, redefining what it meant to be human. Additionally, CBS aired a documentary about her work, which received national attention.
As a woman in science, especially during the 1960s, she was held to double standards by her male peers. She was reduced to a TV personality or an animal lover, instead of a legitimate scientist who contributed some of the most important research on primates in the 20th century. To increase her scientific ethos, Goodall applied for a PhD from Newnham College, Cambridge, which she received in 1965. Her three-month research project on chimpanzee behavior then evolved into an extraordinary program that spanned decades.
Later, Goodall transitioned from studying chimpanzees to protecting their habitat. She traveled the world, advocating for conservatism as well as opposing the capture of wild chimpanzees for research or zoos. Her message of positivity, hope, and love for nature resonated with millions of people. In 1977, Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute. It evolved into one of the largest nonprofit, global research and conversationalist organizations. It has offices in both the U.S. and 24 other countries. She wrote more than 27 books for adults and children, with a strong emphasis on youth becoming involved with protecting the environment.
In 2002, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Two years later, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) at Buckingham Palace. Other awards she earned include: the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, French Légion d’honneur, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, and the Ghandi-King Award for Nonviolence, along with numerous other prestigious awards.
Jane Goodall’s legacy will become clearer with the passage of time. However, the most important thing is that she believes in the power of the individual as well as the collective. She argues that we have the means and tools to save our future, and that the only thing that matters is that we act. She says, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Echoes of Goodall’s story can be seen in another famous female scientist’s life chronicle, Marie Curie. Both women highlight the importance of persistence and of leaving a lasting legacy through service for others.
Marie Curie, the Polish-French chemist, is best known for her groundbreaking research on radioactivity, her discovery of polonium and radium, and for being the first person (and first woman ) to win a Nobel Prize in two distinct fields: Physics and Chemistry. While she’s often celebrated for her brilliance and determination to overcome countless obstacles, there’s a lesser-known side to her story. Marie Curie was also a devoted teacher and the founder of the Curie Institute, leaving behind a legacy that extended far beyond her work in the laboratory.
Curie’s academic journey began in 1884 at the Flying University in Warsaw, an underground institution for women and Polish students under Russian occupation. Because of her gender and background, Marie was forced to study in secret. A few years later, she moved to France to study at the Sorbonne, where her scientific career truly commenced. By 1893, she had earned her degree in physics, and just a year later, another in mathematics. But Marie wasn’t satisfied with merely a master’s degree. In 1903, she defended her doctoral thesis at the Sorbonne, setting a new precedent for women in science.
Although she was an exceptionally busy woman, Marie still found time for love. In 1894, through a mutual friend, she met Pierre Curie, a professor at the School of Physics. He offered her access to his laboratory so she could conduct her own research, and within a year, the two were married. Together with physicist Henri Becquerel, they won the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on radioactivity. The Curies worked and researched side by side for years, ultimately discovering the elements polonium and radium.
Tragically, their partnership came to an end with Pierre’s death in 1906.
After his death, Marie’s focus began to shift. She continued her scientific work, but she also dedicated time to education and philanthropy. In 1909, she founded the Institut Curie (originally called the Radium Institute), which became one of the world’s leading centers for cancer research. The Institute would grow to become a public-service private foundation that simultaneously conducts novel research and maintains an incredible hospital group that is able to treat all types of cancer.
Marie also carried on Pierre’s academic legacy. After his death, she was offered his vacant professorship at the Sorbonne, becoming the first woman ever to teach there, another historic milestone for women in science.
Marie Curie’s life serves as a reminder that brilliance isn’t just about discovery; it’s also about creating a legacy. Marie irrevocably altered the limits of science and still found time to teach, mentor, and pave the way for future generations. Her legacy shows that true greatness lies not only in changing the world but in helping others do the same.
Both Jane Goodall and Marie Curie exemplify poised and determined women in a time when their dreams were seen as impossible and completely unattainable. They also show women and generations of girls to come that chasing the dream is only as important as leaving a legacy for those to come, so that their journey can be a little bit easier.