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File:Rev._Jim_Jones,_1977_(3x4_cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Jim Jones

Also known as James Warren Jones, James Jones

American cult leader (1931–1978)

Film & TV

Crete, Indiana, USA

James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American preacher, political activist and mass murderer. He led the Peoples Temple, a new religious movement, between 1955 and 1978. In what he called "revolutionary suicide", Jones and the members of his inner circle orchestrated a mass murder–suicide in his remote jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. Jones and…

Known for

Motorgasm: a cinematic act of terrorism — self (archive footage)2026
Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown — Self (archive footage)2024
Mother Undercover — Self (archive footage)2023
QAnon: The Search for Q — Self (archive footage)2021
605 Adults 304 Children — Self (archive footage)2019
Very Scary People — Self (archive footage)2019
The UnXplained — Self (archive footage)2019
Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre — Self (archive footage)2018
Truth and Lies: Jonestown, Paradise Lost — Self (archive footage)2018
Inside the Criminal Mind — Self (archive footage)2018

via TMDB

Key facts

Born: James Warren Jones , ( 1931-05-13 ) May 13, 1931, Crete, Indiana , U.S.
Died: November 18, 1978 (1978-11-18) (aged 47), Jonestown , Guyana
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the left temple (possible suicide )
Education: Indiana University , Butler University ( BA )
Spouse: Marceline Baldwin ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1949 )
Partner s: Carolyn Moore Layton (1968–1978), Maria Katsaris (1973–1978)
Targets: Members of the People's Temple in Jonestown , United States Representative Leo Ryan and his delegation
Weapons: Cyanide-laced Flavor Aid , unspecified firearms
Appointed by: George Moscone ( D )

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: James
Family name: Jones
Gender: male
Citizenship: United States
Place of birth: Crete
Place of death: Jonestown
Occupation: volunteer
Educated at: Indiana University Bloomington
Political party: Communist Party of the United States of America
Languages spoken: English language
Image: Rev. Jim Jones, 1977 (cropped)2.jpg
Number of children: 9
Significant event: Jonestown massacre

Show 6 more facts

Commons category: Jim Warren Jones
date of birth: 1931-05-13
date of death: 1978-11-18
manner of death: Suicide
cause of death: gunshot wound
name in kana: ジム・ジョーンズ

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher, and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrated a mass murder–suicide that resulted in the deaths of over 900 people including 304 children, which he described as "revolutionary suicide", a term coined by Huey P. Newton, in his remote jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana on November 18, 1978, including the assassination of U.S. congressman Leo Ryan. Jonestown had a defining influence on society's perception of cults.

As a child, Jones developed an affinity for Pentecostalism and a desire to preach. He was ordained as a Christian minister in the Independent Assemblies of God, attracting his first group of followers while participating in the Pentecostal Latter Rain movement and the Healing Revival during the 1950s. Jones's initial popularity arose from his joint campaign appearances with the movement's prominent leaders William Branham and Joseph Mattsson-Boze, and their endorsement of his ministry. Jones founded the organization that became the Peoples Temple in Indianapolis in 1955. In 1956, he began to be influenced by Father Divine and the Peace Mission movement. Jones distinguished himself through civil rights activism, founding the Temple as a fully integrated congregation. In 1964, he joined and was ordained a minister by the Disciples of Christ; his attraction to the Disciples was largely due to the autonomy and tolerance they granted to differing views within their denomination.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Jim Jones” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.