On This Day 1978: 900 Cult Members Commit Suicide at Jonestown, Guyana - 2 views
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Mark Moran on 18 Nov 09The origin of "drinking the Koll-Aid." On November 18, 1978, a delegation led by California Congressman Leo Ryan visited the Peoples Temple cult in Jonestown, Guyana, and left the camp with 16 members who wanted to return to the U.S. Cult leader Jim Jones ordered his guards to open fire on Ryan's delegation as they waited to board a plane, killing Ryan & 3 journalists. Jones then ordered his followers to drink a cyanide-spiked drink, leading to the deaths of more than 900 people.