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Marshall Applewhite a former music professor and Bonnie Nettles a nurse meet in Texas. They believe they are divine figures sent on a spiritual mission.
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They adopt the names "Bo and Peep" and later "Ti and Do." They travel across the U.S., studying theology, science fiction, and esoteric beliefs.
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They have a revelation that they are the two witnesses from the Book of Revelation, sent to guide people to a higher evolutionary level.
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They hold a recruitment event in Oregon that attracts national attention. Over 20 people leave their lives behind to join the movement, which is then called Human Individual Metamorphosis (HIM).
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The group goes underground, cutting off ties with family and society. Members give up their possessions and take new names.
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The group adopts an ascetic lifestyle, avoiding sex, alcohol, and entertainment. Members dress in androgynous clothing and prepare for their spiritual departure.
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Bonnie Nettles (Ti) dies of cancer. Applewhite tells followers that she has "shed her vehicle" and ascended to the Next Level.
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Applewhite modifies the group's teachings in the late 1880's, emphasizing that followers must willingly "exit" their human bodies to reach the Next Level.
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1990's
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The group renames itself Heaven’s Gate and begins publishing materials online.
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They move into a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California, preparing for their final journey.
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Applewhite declares that the Hale-Bopp comet is the sign they have been waiting for, saying a spacecraft is hidden behind the comet.
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March 22-23, 1997 – The first wave of suicides begins. Members eat phenobarbital mixed with applesauce and vodka, then place bags over their heads.
March 24-25, 1997 – The remaining members repeat the process in shifts. Applewhite is the last to die.
March 26, 1997 – Police discover the bodies of 39 members dressed in identical black clothing and Nike sneakers, covered with purple cloths. -
March 27, 1997 – The group's website is discovered, along with farewell videos explaining their beliefs.
Present Day – A few surviving members maintain the Heaven’s Gate website and continue to answer inquiries about the group’s teachings.