Vernon Howell was born on this day in 1959, destined to become one of the most notorious cult leaders in American history. The Branch Davidians, the sect he would eventually command, were themselves an offshoot of the Davidians, a reform movement within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Howell later renamed himself David Koresh, drawing on biblical symbolism to cement his claim as a messianic figure. His leadership of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas would end in a 51-day federal siege in 1993, a catastrophic fire, and the deaths of 76 of his followers.
