Sharon Tate murder anniversary: The 1969 Manson Family killings

On August 9, 1969, actress Sharon Tate and three of her friends were murdered at her home on Cielo Drive in Los Angeles. Tate, who was eight and a half months pregnant, was a rising Hollywood talent and the wife of director Roman Polanski.

The killings were carried out by members of the Manson Family, a group led by Charles Manson. The victims included Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and 18-year-old Steven Parent, who had no connection to the group. While Manson was not present at the house during the murders, he was later convicted for orchestrating the crimes.

The brutal nature of the attacks, which included the word "PIG" written in blood on the front door, became a defining moment of the 1960s, symbolizing a dark shift in the era's counterculture. The murders also spurred significant advocacy for victims' rights in California, driven by the efforts of Tate's family.