Fire and smoke consuming the David Koresh-led Branch Davidian cult compound, 1993.  (Credit: Mark Perlstein/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)

Branch Davidian Compound BurningThe Branch Davidians' Mount Carmel compound outside of Waco, Texas, burns to the ground during the 1993 raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Nearly 80 members of the religious group were killed in the fire, which ended the 51-day standoff between the Davidians the ATF. | Location: Near Waco, Texas, USA. (Photo by �� Greg Smith/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Flowers Growing by Jonestown Pavilion (Original Caption) Jonestown, Guyana: A 25-man work crew of the Guyanese government is making a half-hearted attempt to keep the jungle from reclaiming Jonestown. Flowers continue to grow outside the main assembly pavilion at Rev. Jim Jones' promised Marxist "heaven on earth," where a year ago 913 Peoples Temple cultists perished in mass murder-suicides. The only survivors from Jonestown still around the scene of the tragedy are the goats on a livestock farm a mile and a half from the main compound, plus two cats and a dog named "Fluffy."

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The 1970s was an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements gained momentum. The Vietnam War came to a close, the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, the United States ended direct involvement in the Vietnam War and President Jimmy Carter grappled with an energy crisis, inflation and the Iran Hostage Crisis.

1970s

The 1960s was one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history. The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."

1960s

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.

Crime

The 1990s is often remembered as a decade of relative peace and prosperity: The Soviet Union fell, ending the decades-long Cold War, and the rise of the Internet ushered in a radical new era of communication, business and entertainment. However, the decade was not without violence and tragedy, including the Bosnian genocide, the Rodney King beating and subsequent L.A. Riots, and the bombing of the World Trade Center. The Columbine High School shooting marked a solemn chapter in gun violence, and the devastatingly deadly Oklahoma City bombing by a domestic terrorist followed lethal standoffs between federal agents and armed civilians at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas.

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Stories

The Jonestown Radio Network: How Jim Jones Spread His Message Of Death

Inside Jonestown: How Jim Jones Trapped Followers and Forced ‘Suicides’

Life as a 14-Year-Old Manson Girl: A View From Inside the Murderous Cult

What Happened to the Branch Davidians After Waco?

This Day in History

Mass suicide at Jonestown

Heaven’s Gate cult members found dead

Waco Siege ends; Branch Davidian compound burns

ATF raids Branch Davidian compound

A raid is set for MOVE headquarters

A cult leader kills one of his followers