Heaven’s Gate

By IndiaFreeman01

  • Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles meet.

    They begin their spiritual journey, developing their unique belief system.

  • Applewhite and Nettles begin to attract followers

    They begin to spread their teachings, which blend Christian millenarianism, New Age philosophy, and UFO beliefs.

  • A core group of members begin a monastic lifestyle

  • Bonnie Nettles dies of cancer.

    This event significantly impacts the group's beliefs, particularly regarding the nature of "ascension."

  • The group comes back

    Applewhite begins recruiting new members.

  • The appearance of the Hale-Bopp comet

    this plays a crucial role in solidifying the group's belief that a spacecraft is coming to take them to the "Next Level."

  • Mass suicide

    The Heaven's Gate members carry out a mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California, working with the Hale Bopp comet's closest approach to Earth. The bodies of 39 Heaven's Gate members are discovered.