Origins & Early Life

James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher, and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrated a mass murder–suicide that resulted in the deaths of over 900 people (approximately 396 children). He described the action as "revolutionary suicide", a term coined by Huey P. Newton.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The people went to their deaths at the remote jungle commune which they had developed at Jonestown, Guyana, which was operated like a mini-totalitarian police state under official permission and a formal land lease from the Government of Guyana. U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan, who had been visiting to investigate reports of human rights abuses and people wanting to leave, was also assassinated before his plane departed. Jones blended Pentecostal religious authority with Marxist-Leninist rhetoric, with an emphasis on racial equality during the civil rights movement, which resulted in most of his followers (and later victims) being African American. As a child, Jones had developed an affinity for Pentecostalism and a desire to preach.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was ordained as a Christian minister...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam — Contemporary (Born in 1931) (1931): Visionary aerospace engineer, scientist, and former President of India.
• Akseli Gallen-Kallela — Contemporary (Died in 1931) (1931): Pioneering Finnish painter, celebrated for national romanticism and the Kalevala.
• Albert A. Michelson — Contemporary (Died in 1931) (1931): Pioneering American experimental physicist known for light speed measurements.
• Adolf Dassler — Contemporary (Died in 1978) (1978): Pioneering German cobbler and inventor who founded the sportswear giant Adidas.
• Ayumi Hamasaki — Contemporary (Born in 1978) (1978): Japanese Pop Icon, 'Empress of Pop,' best-selling solo artist in Japan.
• Balabhaskar — Contemporary (Born in 1978) (1978): Pioneering Indian violinist and composer known for promoting fusion music.
• Aleksey Khomyakov — Shared historical date (05-13 · Born) (1804): Founding theoretician of the Slavophile movement in Russian philosophy.
• Alexander Nevsky — Shared historical date (05-13 · Born) (1220): A pivotal Grand Prince of Novgorod and defender of Russian Orthodoxy.
• Adam Weishaupt — Shared historical date (11-18 · Died) (1830): German philosopher, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, and legal scholar.
• Ahmed Zaki (actor) — Shared historical date (11-18 · Born) (1949): Iconic Egyptian actor celebrated for intense dramatic performances.
• 1931 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1931
• May 13 (05-13) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 13
• 1978 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1978
• November 18 (11-18) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on November 18