Jonestown Massacre

Setting the scene

The Jonestown massacre occurred November 18, 1978, in Guyana, when 909 members of the Peoples Temple cult died in a mass murder-suicide ordered by leader Jim Jones. Jones, a charismatic preacher who moved his followers from California to Guyana in 1977, ordered them to drink cyanide-laced Flavor Aid after U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan was murdered while investigating the commune.

What happened

Ryan had visited Jonestown with journalists and concerned relatives. As his party left, Temple gunmen attacked at the airstrip, killing Ryan and four others. Jones then convened his followers, declaring 'revolutionary suicide.' Parents gave poison to children first. Over 900 died, including 304 children. Jones died of a gunshot wound.

Why it still matters

Jonestown was the largest loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until 9/11. It led to increased scrutiny of cults and the phrase 'drinking the Kool-Aid' (though it was Flavor Aid). The massacre demonstrated the dangers of charismatic authoritarian leaders and isolation. November 18, 1978, remains a cautionary tale about the power of manipulation.

Background

More than 900 people died.