Mass suicide is a form of suicide, occurring when a group of people simultaneously kill themselves.
Aerial view of the Jonestown mass suicide victims.
The self-immolation (jauhar) of the Hindu women, during the Siege of Chittorgarh in 1568
Pictures of those who died in Jonestown
The Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ, originally Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church and commonly shortened to Peoples Temple, was an American new religious organization which existed between 1954 and 1978 and was affiliated with the Christian Church. Founded by Jim Jones in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Peoples Temple spread a message that combined elements of Christianity with communist and socialist ideology, with an emphasis on racial equality. After Jones moved the group to California in the 1960s and established several locations throughout the state, including its headquarters in San Francisco, the Temple forged ties with many left-wing political figures and claimed to have 20,000 members.
Jim Jones's first church in Indianapolis, Indiana
Peoples Temple headquarters, 1859 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, 1978
Peoples Temple members attend an anti-eviction rally at the International Hotel, San Francisco, January 1977.
Rev. Jim Jones receives a Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian award at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, January 1977.
