On April 3, 1934, Valerie Jane Goodall was born in London, England. Jane’s father, Mortimer Goodall, worked as a telephone cable testing engineer in London and her mother, Vanne (pronounced "Van" which is short for the Welsh name Myfanwe) and Joseph Goodall, stayed at home and cared for Jane and later her younger sister, Judy. Her mother was interested in music, conversation, writing, people, and books.
