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In the early 1970's, the creator of the religion, Heaven's Gate, Marshall Applewhite began exploring the concept of biblical prophecy (the statements of god that help to give information on the world and religion).
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Throughout the 1970s-1980s Heaven's Gate began recruitment, focusing on sharing their spiritual enlightenment and a mix of religious beliefs.
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Applewhite was fired from his job at the University of St. Thomas. Directly after Applewhite met Bonnie Nettles who had similar interests to him. Nettles claimed that extraterrestrials predicted that the two would meet, Applewhite believed that they had been reborn and had been together in their previous lives. This began their relationship and the construction of Heaven's Gate.
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Throughout 1972 -1975 the leaders began recruiting religious members and leading meetings. in 1975 the two claimed to be the witnesses of the end times referred to in the Bible.
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Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles completed a brief outline of the Heaven's Gate religion by this time. This was done after the two read many relevant passages and books focusing on the interpretations and theologies. The two claimed to be prophets of the religion who would be reborn and taken into spaceships during an event called 'the Demonstration' (similar to the concept of 'Doomsday'). They began sharing their beliefs with other religious groups and communities.
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The group sold their possessions and went underground by sleeping in tents, sleeping bags, and getting resources from the streets. This was the first time the religion was reported on in the media due to the high amount of people that had gone missing. During this time followers became more invested in the religion as they did not have access to media or normal possessions - only to the leader's stories.
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Bonnie Nettles died from liver cancer, causing the restructure of the religion to focus on using the internet for religious reform
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Throughout the 1990s the religion began using the internet as their main form of recruitment and of sharing religious beliefs.
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Members of the religion moved into a home together where they took out a large insurance plan (covering $1 mil per person for 50 members).
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The group committed suicide, following the same steps. The group wore the same clothing as a 'sign of unity.' The items held by the group had pop culture connections (ie. Star Trek and Huck Finn). After killing themselves another member would prepare the body for enlightenment - taking off the plastic bag used to kill themselves and were covered in clothes for privacy. 39 people participated, two members survived, Applewhite was the last to die.
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Applewhite gave a speech encouraging members of Heaven's Gate to participate in a mass suicide to attract UFOs that would take members to Heaven's Gate and would allow them to reach enlightenment.
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VHS videotapes were sent to a list of recipients, this included Marshall Applewhite's last speech and the final messages of the group members who participated. The person who reported receiving this package was Rio DiAngelo.
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A 911 call was placed to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department asking for a welfare check on the members of the group, the 911 caller was Rio DiAngelo.
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A mad copied the suicides of the group, dating a suicide note on March 27, the body was found on March 31.
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Two former members attempted suicide in the same manner as the group, one died one survived.
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A former member of the group tried to kill himself by gunshot and failed, ultimately succeded in his next suicide attempt in February of 1998.
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Alan Hale became interested in the mass suicide and gathered information, sharing it in Heidelberg Germany at the Second World Skeptics Congress.
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The belief system states that the earth will be recycled at some point before 2027.