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Group's Birth
The group was created by two people (Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite) who met in a Houston hospital came to believe they were sent by space aliens to fulfill a Biblical prophecy. -
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In-Seclusion
Members of the group began disappearing saying that they were in pursuit of a new consciousness that would match that of "the distant culture from whence they came." -
Members Began Disappearing
The cult would convince its members to abandon all their "earthly belongings" and disappear. These people would disappear for more than 16 years. The members claimed they were in pursuit of a new consciousness that would match that of "the distant culture from whence they came." -
Bonnie Nettles Death
Bonnie Nettles (one of the group's leaders) died from cancer and she was believed to be a messenger from space after her death. -
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Re-entering the Spotlight
The group came back into public view spreading their messages in the media and newspaper. -
New Mexico Compound
Heaven’s Gate members spend several months living in a compound in a remote New Mexico town. -
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Hale-Bopp Link
The group believed that the Hale-Bopp Comet was the beginning of the apocalypse. -
Mass Suicide
39 members of the cult committed mass suicide because of the coming of the comet. They all ate vodka applesauce mixed with sedatives and then put plastic bags over their heads to kill themselves. The suicides were timed to coincide with the arrival of the Hale-Bopp comet, which members thought would conceal the alien spacecraft on its way to earth. -
More Suicides
Two previous group members regretted not taking part in the mass suicide. They each later committed suicide individually. -
Burials
A county auction of Heaven’s Gate belongings raises $32,707. Some of the money pays for the auction; the rest goes to family members to help cover burial costs.