When Did the Jonestown Massacre Happen?

Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of death and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

Hulu’s latest documentary, Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown, explores the murder-suicide that took place on November 18, 1978. The documentary primarily focuses on Jim Jones and how he established the Peoples Temple. Initially, the leader preached progressive ideas to the members of the organization. However, people soon realized that the organization ran like a cult, and several members complained about the Jonestown being a slave camp. The documentary is available to stream on Hulu.

Although Jim Jones established Peoples Temple in the 1950s, the leader wanted to move out of Indianapolis. Subsequently, Jones started leasing land in Guyana in 1974, reported The Guardian. In the following years, Jones and thousands of his followers moved to the jungles of Guyana to establish Jonestown. Per the FBI, there were several reports of inappropriate behavior, forced labor, suspicious deaths, and imprisonment at Jonestown. These reports eventually reached the government, and Congressman Leo Ryan decided to visit the establishment.

When Ryan and his staff reached Jonestown, several people said they wanted to leave the town. The FBI noted that Ryan, his staff, and several members of Peoples Temple were ready to leave the establishment when armed men opened fire at them. Sadly, Congressman Ryan died, and several of his staffers were killed in the shooting.

The Jonestown Massacre: When & where did the cult mass murder happen?

After the killing of Congressman Leo Ryan, Jim Jones gathered his followers and told them that they couldn’t have a normal life now. USA Today stated that the cult leader told his followers to “die in peace” and labeled the mass murder-suicide a “revolutionary act.” When some people started to argue and plead for their children’s lives, Jones told them to “stop the hysterics” and “die with some dignity.” Following this, Jones offered them poison and asked them to consume it voluntarily. However, some of them were found to have been held down and forced to be poisoned.

On November 18, 1978, a total of 918 people died in the Jonestown massacre in Guyana. According to ABC News, 907 out of 918 deaths happened due to poison. Moreover, reports revealed that nearly 300 children died in the massacre. On the other hand, authorities found out that Jim Jones killed himself by putting a bullet in his head.