On October 27, 1978, the Jonestown massacre occurred when more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple cult, led by Jim Jones, died in a mass murder-suicide in the remote settlement of Jonestown, Guyana. The deaths were orchestrated by Jones after a visit from U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan, who had been investigating reports of abuse within the cult. Following the congressmans assassination by cult members, Jones ordered his followers to drink cyanide-laced punch, resulting in one of the largest mass suicides in history. The tragedy also included the murder of several children and high-ranking cult members. The event shocked the world and remains one of the most infamous cult-related tragedies.