The Heaven's Gate cult had existed for more than two decades. Its recruiting drives were followed by periods spent in near hiding. In its final years, its message was spread through the Internet. Here is a timeline of the group's history.
Research resources on Heaven's Gate.
Although the circumstances surrounding the Heaven's Gate mass suicide have been widely publicized, little attention has been paid to the group's religious teachings.
In 1997, 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed mass suicide inside a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, near San Diego, California. It was the largest mass-suicide in U.S. history.