Jonestown Massacre.

In Jonestown, Guyana, more than 900 - men, women and children- followed the call of Rev. Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple. Jones was a charismatic speaker and preacher. He came under scrutiny in the early 1970s after allegations surfaced that he punished his church members severely. He left the San Francisco Bay Area with hundreds of his followers promising them a self-ruled tropical paradise in the small South African Nation. Jones became more autocratic and obsessed with the loyalty of his followers.

When Rep. Leo Ryan arrived in Guyana to investigate the claims of abuse, many of the members of Peoples Temple begged to return to the United States with him. A separate group of Jones' followers killed the congressman and four others. After hearing about the killings, Jones convinced many of his followers to kill themselves to avoid punishment that should follow. Those that resisted were shot, strangled, or injected with cyanide. Jones committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.